Chapter Text
Shen Qingqiu was not making it through without alcohol.
It was a shock all through Cang Qiong mountain and throughout the cultivation world when Yue Qingyuan and Qi Qingqi announced that they were to be married the next month. Many didn't believe that the two were in a relationship. The two's relationship apparently had been kept secret for half a decade.
There were people who refused to believe that it was truly up until the wedding day.
Shen Qingqiu watched as Yue Qingyuan and Qi Qingqi bowed towards the heavens first. Then they bowed towards Qi Qingqi's parents and himself. It was decided that Shen Qingqiu would represent Yue Qingyuan's parents since they have known each other the longest and Yue Qingyuan's own parents died years ago. At least that's what everyone was told.
The final bow were towards each other.
During a normal wedding, the bride and groom would leave while the guests had a feast. With this wedding, that was not possible. There were too many esteemed guests. Huan Hua Palace, Tian Yi Overlook, Zhao Hua Temple, and many nobles from all around. It was not a safe idea to leave all of them to roam around Qiong Ding Peak. Especially when most of the guests will be drunk.
The junior disciples had left first. Although they left early, they knew that the next day was a feast being held for the disciples and Peak Lords. The senior disciples were the one who helped the noble guests to their rooms after the feast. While the Peak Lords themselves helped to show the cultivation sects where to rest for the night.
The next day's activities were remotely the same but with less people. It was used as a day for the disciples to rest and get along with the other disciples from other peaks. Of course the older senior disciples that didn't wish to go and the hall masters stayed behind to tend to the peaks.
The third day's activities were strictly for the Peak Lords.
For a normal wedding, the third day the couple would go to the bride's home for a feast. That wouldn't be possible here as the bride lived in the same sect as well, so instead they went to Qi Qingqi's birth home for the feast.
That left the other ten Peak Lords to have a day off and talk. For most of the day, the Peak Lords stayed on their own peaks but when it was time to have the small feast, they were all there.
They decided that it would be easier to have a small feast than a regular sized one.
Liu Qingge talked to Wen Qingshun, the Zui Xian Peak Lord. The man reeked of alcohol, not that it was new. He couldn't say anything about it as he was drinking earlier but stopped when his stomach started to hurt.
Liu Qingge noticed that Wen Qingshun kept glancing over towards Shen Qingqiu. It wasn't like anything was wrong.
Shen Qingqiu, that bastard, sat alone while he held a jar of some sort of alcohol in his hand. He made small swigs of it like it was water. Liu Qingge was unable to tell what type of alcohol it was. But whatever he was dealing with, Shen Qingqiu could deal with it on his own.
"Wen-shidi, what type of liquor does Shen Qingqiu have?" Liu Qingge leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.
"Hm?" Wen Qingshun hummed before he looked over. His eyes widened as he recognized the jar. "It's Truthful Laugh, a wine not a liquor. Strong stuff it is."
"Strong?"
Wen Qingshun nodded, "Yes. Even though the jar itself is smaller than average, the wine gets brewed for longer making it richer. Very expensive stuff."
"How much of it can you drink?" Liu Qingge asked. He noticed how Shen Qingqiu looked at the middle of the bottle and frowned.
"About 10 when I first drank it a decade ago but now 20." Wen Qingshun answered. Even around 15, he would start to stop holding back his words.
Liu Qingge's eyes widened. If the drunken Peak Lord could only do 10 a decade ago, then Shen Qingqiu needs help.
"What about in a span of three days?" Liu Qingge asked, although it sounded more like a demand.
The Peak Lords that were listening in on the conversation flinched when they heard a bang. They looked over to see Shen Qingqiu's forehead on his table, it seemed that he passed out.
Wen Qingshun eyebrows narrowed at the question. "I'm not sure but at least eight a day, throughout three days' time. With Truthful Laugh, one doesn't want to drink it for multiple days in a row. If one drinks too much when not used to it, they could get alcohol poisoning." He shivered, he remembered the only time he had to go to Mu Qingfeng for alcohol poisoning because of that stupid challenge with Truthful Laugh. He wasn't allowed to drink for a whole month.
"Liu-shixiong, why are you asking this?"
The question that someone asked was ignored by Liu Qingge. "Mu-shidi take a look at Shen-shixiong's health."
Mu Qingfeng nodded, "May this shidi ask why?" He stood up anyways. Mu Qingfeng walked over toward Shen Qingqiu as Liu Qingge answered.
The past three days, Liu Qingge noticed that Shen Qingqiu held a distant look, one not like his normal one, while holding a small jar of a wine, Truthful Laugh. He had seen that Shen Qingqiu finished three the first day, four the second day, and another four this day. At first he would have just ignored it but when Wen Qingshun said that he could only do ten of them at first, so how could someone who doesn't drink hold against this wine.
"That makes sense now, I've seen Shen-shixiong throw away multiple of those bottles." Wei Qingwei commented. It wasn't an everyday thing where his shixiong would do such a thing.
Mu Qingfeng checked Shen Qingqiu's qi. Thankfully that was normal. "Nothing is wrong right now. Shen-shixiong is merely lying his head on the table. Although it would be best if someone take him to Qing Jing Peak."
No one wanted to do that.
Shen Qingqiu leaned up fast. He cursed loudly when his head hit the pillar behind him. He glared behind him. It was completely obvious that he was drunk.
No one said anything as Shen Qingqiu stood up and looked around the room, glaring at anyone or anything. He looked down at his table and squinted. Shen Qingqiu reached down and grabbed the jar of Truthful Laugh, again he glared at it.
Mu Qingfeng shook his head, "Shen-shixiong," he placed his hand on the jar, "this shidi thinks you should stop drinking tonight."
Shen Qingqiu removed his glare from the other hand on the jar to Mu Qingfeng. "Shut up." He plainly spoke. It didn't sound like his normal threat, it seemed like a cat not wanting a human to touch its things.
The senior Peak Lord yanked the jar from Mu Qingfeng's hand and frowned. Shen Qingqiu tilted his head and continued to glare. "Do you think I'm stupid." He didn't ask.
Mu Qingfeng shook his head, "No! Shen-shixiong, this shidi just meant-"
"I said shut up!" Shen Qingqiu's drunken state had dropped any and all formalities. That was something none of them were not used to.
Shen Qingqiu turned the jar upside down. Nothing poured out. It was empty.
Ignoring the surprised looks, Shen Qingqiu looked around again. He tried to find something and when he did, he slowly made his way to the garbage disposal in the room. The garbage disposal sat near the entrance of the room and with Shen Qingqiu being the furthest, it took way longer than needed.
He ignored anyone calling out to him when he left through the entrance. He just wanted to go to the brothel to get comfort from the jiejies there.
Mu Qingfeng panicked slightly. A drunk shixiong or shidi was bad, but a drunk Shen-shixiong was worse. He looked around only to see that no one made a move to go after Shen Qingqiu.
"Liu-shixiong, this shidi thinks that you should make sure that Shen-shixiong gets to Qing Jing Peak safely." Mu Qingfeng spoke up.
Liu Qingge glared, "Why is that."
"You are the only one besides Zhangmen-shixiong who is able to deal with Shen-shixiong's anger." Mu Qingfeng stated as if it were common knowledge. Liu Qingge glared more but didn't say anything as he left.
Searching for Shen Qingqiu was the easy part. The man hardly made it on the rainbow bridge when he stopped walking. When Liu Qingge walked closer to Shen Qingqiu, the senior crouched down.
"Shen-shixiong?" Liu Qingge cautiously called out.
Shen Qingqiu didn't say anything when he looked back with a glare.
Liu Qingge froze when he caught sight of a tear falling down Shen Qingqiu's face. "Shen Qingqiu...?" He wasn't sure what to do.
Shen Qingqiu abruptly stood up and walked towards Liu Qingge. "Take me to the Warm Red Pavillion." He demanded when he stopped in front of the slightly taller.
Liu Qingge glared now. "No."
Shen Qingqiu frown deepened. "I'm going." Either by foot or sword.
"No, you are not going to those whores." Liu Qingge spat out. He grabbed Shen Qingqi's right wrist with his left hand. "You are going to Qing Jing Peak."
Shen Qingqiu glared at the hand touching him and yanked. "Don't touch me." He turned around and walked.
Liu Qingge kept calling out as he followed the stubborn man. He was annoyed that the man would choose to stay with prostitutes over his own peak.
When his right hand grabbed Shen Qingqiu's left wrist and pulled Shen Qingqiu towards him, he was cursed out. "Don't fucking touch me! You fucking stupid brute that doesn't respect fucking boundaries!" Shen Qingqiu's words weren't expected. Liu Qingge has never heard Shen Qingqiu curse before.
"If you're so adamant to go sleep with whores then let me take you before you pass out and get robbed!" Liu Qingge yelled back.
Shen Qingqiu froze in place for reasons Liu Qingge did not understand. Liu Qingge unsheathed his sword from his side before he placed it down near the ground but it was floating. He quietly got onto the front half of the sword. "Well come on."
Shen Qingqiu looked skeptical at the sword. He placed one foot on the back before adding the other. It seemed that he was balanced. Although that was proven wrong when Liu Qingge flew the sword higher.
Shen Qingqiu leaned forward and clashed into Liu Qingge's back. "I thought you said I couldn't touch you." Liu Qingge commented as he flew over the peaks and towards the entrance.
"Shut the fuck up!" Shen Qingqiu yelled out as he held onto Liu Qingge's waist tighter. His arms crossed each other to make sure they didn't let go by accident.
Nothing more was said when Liu Qingge felt Shen Qingqiu tremble from behind him.
Liu Qingge made his way over the small forest that surrounded Cang Qiong Mountain's foot. He only paused mentally when he felt a warm breath on his neck. He slightly turned his head to see that Shen Qingqiu's head was against his shoulder.
Shen Qingqiu's nose and eyes were the only things visible to him. Whenever Shen Qingqiu breathed, a small amount of warm air would hit his neck. Shen Qingqiu's eyes on the other hand were looking over his shoulder and out at the night sky. Although it must be hard to see with tears in his eyes.
Liu Qingge slowed down a little to let Shen Qingqiu enjoy the view. It was rare to see his shixiong so peaceful, it was also rare to see the night sky without fighting something or being inside.
"Brute." Shen Qingqiu whispered into his shoulder.
"Hm?" Liu Qingge looked forward once again.
"Go down in the forest to the left." Shen Qingqiu said, he spoke as if he would get yelled at.
Liu Qingge said nothing but followed what was said.
When he descended lower, he saw a small stream of water that a horse would be able to jump over with ease. He wondered how come he never saw it before.
Shen Qingqiu immediately got off his sword when Liu Qingge stopped near the ground. The senior Peak Lord walked over to the steam as Liu Qingge sheathed Cheng Luan.
It surprised Liu Qingge when Shen Qingqiu went on his knees next to the water and scoop it up in his hands only to splash it onto his own face. "Come." Shen Qingqiu spoke but didn't look.
Liu Qingge nodded despite knowing the other wouldn’t see it. He walked closer to Shen Qingqiu as if the other man was an animal he was hunting to capture, not kill.
"Sit." Shen Qingqiu continued to look at the stream.
Liu Qingge sat on his knees next to Shen Qingqiu. He didn't look at the new tears that developed onto Shen Qingqiu's face. This was a side that he doubted anyone had seen from Shen Qingqiu, including Yue Qingyuan. It was something that Liu Qingge was unsure how to handle.
Liu Qingge didn't say anything when he pulled out a handkerchief his sister gave to him. The handkerchief had a small design of a panda that had been sewed on there by his sister. He had hardly ever used it because he did not want to dirty it.
They didn't say anything for a while, choosing to stay in silence rather than awkwardly talk. When Shen Qingqiu handed the handkerchief back to Liu Qingge, the silence was broken.
"During that wedding," Shen Qingqiu refused to look up from his hands, preferring to glare at them instead Liu Qingge. "Whenever someone wasn't watching her, Qi Qingqi would look smug in my direction. As if she won an unknown game."
Liu Qingge was unaware that Qi Qingqi even cared to look at another. He remembers that her eyes were always either on Yue Qingyuan or the person or people she was talking to.
"This morning before they left, Qi Qingqi visited me." Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath in before releasing it. "She told me that she won. That Qi-ge would never favor me again nor send me gifts. That he would never have time to see me again unless for official business."
Liu Qingge wondered if this Qi-ge was Yue Qingyuan.
"He broke his promise again." Shen Qingqiu's hand clenched his robes. "I lost my Qi-ge again and I hate it."
Liu Qingge dared to speak, "His promise?"
Shen Qingqiu nodded, "That he would never leave me, either to rot or to be alone. He said that he would stay by my side but it was he who left." There was anger in his voice near the end.
"Well you don't need people who break promises!" Liu Qingge argued back to no one. He placed his hand on Shen Qingqiu's shoulder and made Shen Qingqiu look at him.
Shen Qingqiu's eyes widened when he made eye contact with Liu Qingge. "People, either friends or family, who tell you a promise and then break it, will only break another promise!"
Shen Qingqiu sneered, "Everyone has broken their stupid fucking promises to me!"
"I haven't!" Liu Qingge yelled out. He wasn't quite sure why he was saying this or how he got the courage to even say it. "I have never broken any promises to you!"
"That's fucking impossible! Like fucking hell have you ever promised something to me!" Shen Qingqiu slapped the hand on his shoulder but Liu Qingge's hand didn't budge. "You brute let me the fuck go!"
"No!" Liu Qingge yelled back. "Haven't I promised you that we would fight again! I have always come back to fight!"
"For you own fucking amusement!" Shen Qingqiu argued back. He tried to move the other way but Liu Qingge planted his other hand on his shoulder.
"No! You fucking asshole!" Liu Qingge yelled back. "I fought you because I didn't know what else to do!"
Shen Qingqiu paused his struggle. Liu Qingge took that as an invite to continue. "I fought you because you refused to talk to anyone! Because you kept yourself shut in during our disciple days!"
"Why...?" Shen Qingqiu whispered out. Liu Qingge felt Shen Qingqiu tremble under his hands.
Liu Qingge couldn't answer.
"Why the fuck did you do it throughout these years." Shen Qingqiu demanded.
"I..." Liu Qingge said but quickly closed his mouth, trying to think instead of speak. "Throughout these past three days, my sister helped me realize something."
Liu Qingge looked down, he refused to look at Shen Qingqiu's eyes. "She came to the conclusion that I don't hate you..." He glanced up to see that Shen Qingqiu's eyebrows narrowed. "That... I love you instead."
He cursed Mu Qingfeng out in his head for being correct about him being in love with someone.
"Impossible." Shen Qingqiu breathed out. It was painfully obvious that Shen Qingqiu denied that as a possibility.
"You're the only one that I sought out to fight." Liu Qingge admitted. "I think..." He looked away from the steam and towards the grass. "I think that I get..." He couldn't say the word.
"Jealous...?" Shen Qingqiu asked.
"Mhm." Liu Qingge nodded. "That I get... that... whenever I heard you went to a brothel..."
Shen Qingqiu didn't respond for a while. Liu Qingge's chest started to hurt when he heard nothing besides Shen Qingqiu's breathing and the nature that surrounded them. His hands loosened from his senior's shoulders before they silently went to his side.
"Liu-shidi, look at the stream." Shen Qingqiu spoke.
He didn't want to look but did so. The stream held the reflection of the stars from the sky.
"Out of anyone you could have chosen..." Shen Qingqiu hesitated, "You choose to fall in love with the wrong one."
Liu Qingge snapped his head up to see that Shen Qingqiu wasn't even looking at the stream, instead he was looking at him. "You're not the wrong one!"
Shen Qingqiu shook his head, "that's a lie."
"No it's fucking not!" Liu Qingge argued, "If you truly were the wrong one then why did you not ask Zhangmen-shixiong to forbid me from fighting you!"
"But-" Shen Qingqiu wanted to argue back but Liu Qingge interrupted him.
Liu Qingge bowed towards the ground in front of Shen Qingqiu. How close they were didn't help when Liu Qingge's forehead touched Shen Qingqiu's knees. "This shidi is sorry for any and all rumors he made or even listened to! He did not do his own research to check if they were true or not! Shen-shixiong may punish this shidi as he sees fit!"
Shen Qingqiu's breath cut sharply. "Stop that. I hate it when Zhangmen-shixiong says sorry and it's worse for you to do it."
Liu Qingge leaned up and spoke nothing but simply nodded.
"How can you love me, when I don't even love myself...?" Shen Qingqiu whispered.
"I'm not sure..." Liu Qingge admitted. He looked Shen Qingqiu in the eyes. "But we could learn?"
Shen Qingqiu didn't say anything. He simply stared at Liu Qingge. "That's possible...?"
"Can I?" Liu Qingge asked, his left hand floated above Shen Qingqiu's right hand. Shen Qingqiu nodded but Liu Qingge wasn't having that. "A verbal response please?"
Shen Qingqiu sighed, "You can fucking hold my hand." Shen Qingqiu wouldn't admit that he liked seeing Liu Qingge's small smile as warmth surrounded his hand.
Liu Qingge stood up and led Shen Qingqiu up as well. "Do you still want to go to the Warm Red Pavillion?"
"Yes." Shen Qingqiu simply said.
"Okay." Liu Qingge did say that he would take Shen Qingqiu there, and he wasn't going to be a hypocrite and not keep his silent promise.
Liu Qingge unsheathed Cheng Luan once again and had it float above the ground. He stood in front once again and Shen Qingqiu in the back. This time he didn't judge when Shen Qingqiu held onto his waist when he took off but slowly this time.
"May I ask why do you go to the brothels?" Liu Qingge asked curiously. He didn't demand it like in the past. He never did get an answer back then.
"They are my jiejies." Shen Qingqiu said nothing else.
Liu Qingge knew that Shen Qingqiu had no biological siblings due no family ever visiting him ever. If Shen Qingqiu thought of the brothel ladies as family then everything that was accused of him was most likely wrong. He didn't say anything else.
The two flew in silence. It wasn't like it was uncomfortable, for the both of them it allowed them to think about what happened.
"Brute." Shen Qingqiu laid his chin on Liu Qingge's shoulder to talk. "Don't lay dead beasts outside my house."
Liu Qingge's thoughts froze. He had been just thinking about which beast to kill. "What do you mean...?" He decided to play dumb.
"You know. Don't you remember Ming Mei and Shun An before they eloped and left the sect?"
Liu Qingge remembered them quite well. Ming Mei was a shijie of his before he became their shifu's succeeding disciple. Shun An was a shixiong at Qing Jing Peak. The two ended up leaving the sect and eloping when Ming Mei's parents didn't accept Shun An.
"Yeah I do."
"Then you remember that Ming Mei left a carcass of some beast once a week."
Liu Qingge stayed quiet. He did not remember that, he did remember Ming Mei getting handmade gifts from Shun An.
Shen Qingqiu sighed. This would not be easy.
The time they got to the brothel, the moon was high in the sky. Shen Qingqiu led the way inside. Thankfully it wasn’t a busy night compared to other nights.
An older woman walked toward them, "A-Jiu! I didn't think you'd come tonight." She looked at Liu Qingge as if he killed her pet. "Why did you bring him?"
"Hua-jie. The brute made sure I got here." Shen Qingqiu explained. "We talked."
"Shen-shixiong you almost fell off the rainbow bridge." Liu Qingge deadpanned.
Shen Qingqiu tsked, "No I did not."
Liu Qingge shook his head, "You were drunk at that time. You are sober now thanks to your core. When you yelled at me that second time after I grabbed your wrist and pulled you from the side!"
Shen Qingqiu looked away in silence.
"Did you-" Liu Qingge's eyes widened, "did you not realize."
Shen Qingqiu shook his head, "I was too busy cursing you out."
The woman, Hua-jie, chuckled. "Jiu-er hasn't gotten drunk in a long time."
Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes.
Liu Qingge wondered why the woman called him 'Jiu'er'. Wait, wasn't that his birth name! It's been over a decade since any of them has been referred to as their birth name besides from their parents.
"Can I get the usual room?" Shen Qingqiu asked, but he didn't let Liu Qingge speak again.
The woman nodded, "Of course." She eyed Liu Qingge suspiciously. "There is a new girl, though she is younger than wished for."
"How old?" Shen Qingqiu asked. Liu Qingge eyebrows narrowed, he wondered what would happen.
"Nine."
"Story?"
"Sold by her parents for fast money. The estate was going to be taken if a debt was not paid. She came here from another city, her parents didn't wish to see her ever again."
"Name?"
"Zhao Jia. Last name changed."
Liu Qingge looked at the woman and Shen Qingqiu in confusion. Why would a noble family sell their own child to be prostitute.
"I'll send Liu'er to bring her to your room." The woman spoke before leaving.
"What-" Shen Qingqiu covered Liu Qingge's mouth before he could talk.
"I'll explain later."
The two walked to the second floor. In multiple of the rooms they passed, they could hear the moans from the women working. Liu Qingge's face became red before they made it to a room in the back. This was too embarrassing for him.
When Shen Qingqiu closed the door, any and all moans stopped. There was a silencing talisman in the room. The room was simple but held two beds, books, and a table.
"Explain."
Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes as he sat on the bed. "The woman I was talking to was Madam Hua. The girl she was talking about, Zhao Jia, was sold here either two days ago, yesterday, or earlier today. She is too young to begin working."
"What do you mean?" Liu Qingge had no idea what truly went on at brothels.
"Zhao Jia is nine years old. Madam Hua doesn't allow any of her girls here to even be touched until they are sixteen." Shen Qingqiu explained.
Liu Qingge nodded. "What did the Madam mean that her... parents sold her?"
Shen Qingqiu looked away. As much as he didn't want to explain it, the brute wouldn't understand. "Not every woman that works as a prostitute was willing. Either they were born into it due to their own mother being one or sold into it. Most of the time slave girls get sold but there are times where the youngest of a noble family sells their own for quick money."
"Those people shouldn't exist." Liu Qingge spoke in disgust. "No parents should willingly give up their child for money. If it were me, I'd rather sell some of my land than my child."
Shen Qingqiu shook his head. It seemed like Liu Qingge was finally understanding it. "Well humans are selfish and can be worse than demons."
A knock on the door stopped their conversation. Shen Qingqiu stood up and said, "Liu-jie, it's good to see you again."
The woman, Liu-jie, spoke but didn't show her face. "This is the person the others and I told you about, A-Jia. His friend is also in the room but I hope that you end up getting along with them."
When the child stepped into the room, Liu Qingge's eyes widened. He knew that child. He was told via letter that she died a week ago. He had been lied to.
"Hi, A-Jia." Shen Qingqiu's voice came off gently as the door closed. "You most likely heard of who I am but you do not have to address me as such. You can simply call me A-Jiu or Jiu'er."
Zhao Jia nodded. She heard that this man only came for comfort, sleep, and to gossip with the others. He looked how the others described him to be, he didn’t look like those gross perverted men outside. He looked like a prince she read in books!
Shen Qingqiu spoke again, "I believe Liu-jie told you why you are here?" Zhao Jia nodded. It was to help comfort her in a man's presence. He gave her a small smile. "Good."
"My friend here is also from the sect I belong to." Shen Qingqiu turned to face Liu Qingge but gotten confused at Liu Qingge's surprised face. "His name is-"
"Liu Mingwu!" Zhao Jia cut Shen Qingqiu off with a name he hasn't heard for over a decade. The girl ran over to Liu Qingge and cried. Liu Qingge held onto the girl.
"A-Jia...? Why are you...?" Liu Qingge couldn't get the question out. The girl continued to cry.
"Do you know her?" Shen Qingqiu questioned when he sat next to them on the bed.
"She..." Liu Qingge looked behind him and towards Shen Qingqiu. "She's my cousin's child."
Shen Qingqiu took a sharp breath in, "What?" He managed to breath out.
"Last week I was told in a letter that her mother and her were both killed due to bandits." Liu Qingge spoke. Shen Qingqiu remembered Liu Qingge not being in a good mood a week ago. No one bothered to ask about it.
A-Jia broke the embrace and shook her head. "No! Mama was poisoned by Papa's head concubine when he was out! She told him that Mama and I both died from bandits!"
Shen Qingqiu was able to tell that A-Jia and Liu Qingge were related. They both held this unbroken determined look in their similar colored eyes. They even shared the same beauty mark under their left eye. It was possible the beauty mark was a family thing.
Liu Qingge scowled, "That woman! How dare she!" He lowered his volume when he saw A-Jia flinch. "Shen Qingqiu, how much would it be if I were to buy her contract and debt?"
Shen Qingqiu's eyes widened, "Are you insane! That would amount to the money your peak spends in five months!"
Liu Qingge flinched. That was a lot of money. "You said that Madam Hua doesn't allow them to work like that until they are sixteen right?"
"Yes." Shen Qingqiu narrowed his eyes, "They do start to pay off their debt with simple chores and playing instruments but after six years, it would only amount to a half of a single month of your peak's spendings!"
As the two talked, A-Jia cried herself asleep on Liu Qingge's lap.
"I know you don’t want her to be here but you have to think logically! The amount of money in her debt isn't something that you can recklessly buy! You would completely destroy the spendings of each peak for months!" Shen Qingqiu explained, he didn’t speak loudly as he didn't wish to wake the child up.
"What if I spent a certain amount of money each month to work on her debt? Would that work." Liu Qingge asked. He only asked due to him not knowing how most of this worked and not wanting to crash things for his own selfish gain. "What if you paid it and I was in debt to you!"
Shen Qingqiu's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean...?"
Liu Qingge explained. "If you paid the majority of A-Jia's debt then you could say that I owe you money and it's not like your peak spend as much as mine does."
Shen Qingqiu sighed, "If I paid it as well then it would still take a year and a half."
Liu Qingge asked, "Do we have a deal?"
Shen Qingqiu looked as if he wanted to jump off a cliff, "Are you completely sure?"
"Yes."
"I'll tell the Madam about the arrangement and the situation with her and you." Shen Qingqiu stood up and walked towards the door.
"Shen Qingqiu." Liu Qingge called out.
"Hm?" Shen Qingqiu turned around. He felt his ear heat up.
Liu Qingge gave a smile, "Thank you."
"Whatever." He glared at the other.
Shen Qingqiu opened the door and left the room. The moment he closed the door again he took a deep breath in and out. He did not like that feeling when he saw that smile. He needed to find Madam Hua.