Chapter Text
“A-Yuan, A-Jiu, no matter what happens, don’t come out. Understood?”
The woman with fox ears and a tail crouched beside the hidden opening beneath the floorboards, her voice soft but urgent.
Inside the small space, two similar looking toddlers looked up at her.
“Where are A-Niang and A-Die going?”
Shen Jiu asked while Shen Yuan held tightly onto his brother’s dusty robes.
“We’re going to protect the town.”
The man beside her knelt down and handed them a knife.
“If anyone ever tries to hurt you, promise us you’ll protect each other.”
Shen Yuan carefully held the knife with both hands.
“Only if A-Die and A-Niang promise to come back quickly…”
For a moment, neither parent spoke.
Then they smiled.
“We promise.”
Shen Yuan set down the knife and lifted his pinky. “Pinky promise?”
Their parents hooked their fingers around the children’s.
“Super pinky promise.”
The floorboards closed above them.
Darkness filled the small hiding place, lit only by a candle and the sight of Shen Jiu clutching the knife tightly in his shaking hands.
~
Shen Jiu woke with a startle and took a sharp breath.
His chest rose and fell heavily as he pressed a hand against his forehead.
That dream again.
It had been more than a decade since he last saw his brother, but the memory still felt fresh. He had spent years searching through towns and brothels, even forcing himself to ask Yue Qingyuan for help.
And still, he had found nothing.
Today, he had planned to visit another brothel early in the morning, but the nightmare left him too restless to sleep properly.
Annoyed, Shen Jiu got up and prepared for the day before heading to the peak lord meeting.
~
“Shen-shidi, greetings. This one is glad you were able to attend.”
Yue Qingyuan said carefully even nervously, as Shen Jiu took his seat.
Shen Jiu only gave him a cold look.
“This one does not mean to be rude,” Mu Qingfang said tiredly, “but why did Zhangmen-shixiong call for a peak lord meeting?”
Yue Qingyuan cleared his throat.
“It is well known that Shen-shidi has been searching for someone for a long time.”
Shen Jiu tightened his grip on his fan.
“Where is this going, Yue Qingyuan?”
“This shixiong is grateful for the help our fellow peak lords have given in the search—”
“You asked them for help?!”
The anger in Shen Jiu’s voice made the room quiet.
He had only told Yue Qingyuan. He never expected him to tell the others.
But Yue Qingyuan’s next words made him forget his anger.
“This shixiong has finally found where that person is. There is no longer any need for everyone to continue searching.”
Shen Jiu froze.
Relief hit him so suddenly it almost hurt. But at the same time, bitternes rose in his chest because Yue Qingyuan had found news of Shen Yuan before he did.
“This shimei is curious,” Qi Qingqi said with interest, "WHO exactly is Shen-shixiong searching for that even HE had to ask Zhangmen-shixiong for help?”
“It is none of shimei's business.”
Shen Jiu glared from behind his fan.
“This person is important to both Shen-shidi and myself,” Yue Qingyuan answered anyway.
The meeting continued after that, discussing finances and disciples, but Shen Jiu barely listened.
~
The moment the meeting ended, Shen Jiu dragged Yue Qingyuan straight to the bamboo house in qing jing peak.
“This one would like Zhangmen-shixiong to explain everything he knows.”
His polite tone sounded completely fake.
The two sat across from each other with untouched cold tea between them.
“Xiao-Jiu…”
“Don’t call me that!”
Shen Jiu slammed his fan onto the table.
Yue Qingyuan looked guilty, which only annoyed him more.
“This one discovered that Shen Yuan has been working in a brothel in Jinlan City.”
Shen Jiu immediately looked up.
“Tell me which brothel he is in. Now.”
“Shen-shidi must know something first.”
Shen Jiu narrowed his eyes.
“And what could possibly be more important than telling me where my didi is?”
Yue Qingyuan hesitated before quietly saying
“i personally went to check on xiao-yuan and... Xiao-Yuan appears to have lost his memories.”
“…What?”
The room went silent.
Then—
“WHAT?!”