If YQY Is A Big Fluffy Livestock Guardian Dog That’s Happy Just Being In The Presence Of SJ, And LBH

I think about this part all the time he is so fucking funny

As the venerated CEO of CQ and Co., there are very few who don't trust YQY. Some might think he's biased or soft, but no one ever even THINKS to doubt his unwavering integrity.

Which is why no one second guesses his testimony when he frames a completely different person for the murder of QJL. He's all misty-eyed and somber, giving a detailed testimony of the events he witnessed while on the stand.

And SJ (the accused) is frozen. Terrified, really, as he looks up at him. Because YQY walked in on him. He literally caught SJ red-handed, but there is not a trace of anxiety or even guilt on his face as he condemns some other poor soul instead.

The years pass. They don't talk about it. SJ doesn't ask. They get married.

YQY never lies again.

Qi Qingqi: Isn't it weird how nearly everyone we know had awful families

Liu Qingge: That is weird

Yue Qingyuan: And those of us who don't, it's because we have no family to speak of

Shen Qingqiu: It's like we're being tormented by a very lonely god

Shang Qinghua: Well excuse me! Maybe if I was loved as a child then I would probably know how to write about a loving family!!

Peak Lords: ...

Shang Qinghua: ...is what the lonely god must be thinking...

Cheeky!

*drinks deeply of my red wine, reclining on a chaise lounge in a green velvet robe* Another long night of breaking and torturing that old man *sip* Ah, a find vintage! *rings my little faggot bell* Manfred! Bring me the Qijiu fluff! Be quick about it doll, I want to feel alive!

Au where Shen Jiu's ghost has been silently haunting Qing Jing Peak since Shen Yuan took over. And yeah he's pissed and hurt that everyone prefers the imposter but then Yue Qingyuan in the meeting says it would be better if he was as he was before and eh softens a bit

And he spends most of his time with Yue Qingyuan and sees him mourn in private because even though he doesn't know Shen Jiu has been replaced he knows his Xiao Jiu is gone

But he also spies on Shang Qinghua and the Imposter. Especially post immortal alliance conference and finds out about transmigration and the system and investigates MORE and finds the system

And Shen Jiu does was Shen Jiu does best and because of that when Shen Qingqiu is being accused left right and center in Jin Lan City an angry man with more then a passing resemblance to Shen Qingqiu shows up and says he didnt do any of that and couldn't get because he was too busy being sad and why are you believing a demon anyway? Leave his little brother alone you weirdos.

Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu are the only ones to recognise him because that's the plant body! But that's not Shen Yuan! What the fuck!

Shen Jiu is having a lot of fun and it takes like 3 more seconds for Yue Qingyuan to recognise him

Anyway Shen Jiu lawyers them out of there and Cang Qiong is back home freaking out and ask him who he is:

Shen Jiu: i'm Shen Qingqiu's older brother

Liu Qingge: what's your name

Shen Jiu making deliberate eye contact with Shen Qingqiu: Shen Yuan

Shen Qingqiu: *faints*

there should've been an extra chapter of mu qingfang committing medical malpractice

The difference between Shen Jiu and Shen Yuan is not that Shen Yuan would never do the things Shen Jiu does

It's that, fundamentally, Shen Jiu will do anything to protect himself except be honest with himself or others and Shen Yuan will do anything to protect others except be honest with himself or others

In other words to compare bingqiu to qijiu

Shen Jiu will commit great violence because he is sure he's right and Yue Qingyuan will permit it out of guilt despite his personal wishes

Shen Yuan will permit Luo Binghe to commit great violence because he is sure Luo Binghe is right to do so. Luo Binghe will refrain from committing violence out of guilt despite his personal wishes

Luo Binghe outsources his moral compass to Shen Yuan but Shen Yuan is outsourcing his rage and violent urges to Luo Binghe

Shen Yuan is not as far from Shen Jiu as people think

One thing that kinda frustrates me about Shen Jiu fics is that they so often try to sanitize him. Make him nicer/more misunderstood than he actually is.

Like, he was definitely very misunderstood in source material, but he also was straight up a terrible person too, y'know? Both things can be true at once.

The biggest thing is his treatment of Luo Binghe, playing on the idea that it wasn't *as* bad as the characters thought it was. Now, this is just plain wrong cause we know from the extras that SJ gave Binghe the fake cultivation manual with the intent that it would literally explode him. He really wanted to murder that kid, yall. Loony toonz ass villain. Keep this man away from children

And he was definitely a total asshole to all his coworkers, even during disciple days. The other Peak Lords are under no expectation to like him nor tolerate his behavior, especially since they (except Yue Qingyuan) don't know about his backstory (very intentional on SJs part)! SJ very deliberately ostracized himself. His nasty reputation didn't just spring up out of nowhere. He has agency even in other people's opinions of him.

This is particularly notable in his interactions with Liu Qingge. It wasn't "LQG bullies poor SJ and spreads nasty rumors about him." It was a rivalry, a give and take between the both of them. They were both assholes to each other, but clearly, despite the animosity, there was some deeper feeling (SJ being so affected after LQG's murder accusations and then later death). Again, agency is key here.

He's also completely unrepentant until the very end! He will never apologize ever, so no sudden "oh god, what have I done?" heel-turns for him, buddy. If it was that easy, then he wouldn't have gotten human sticked in the first place.

SJ is tragic and sympathetic. SJ is also an awful person and a complete asshole. He's allowed to be both, and both of these sides of him are what makes him an interesting and engaging character.

Edit: holy shit stop interacting with this post everytime I open my notifications I think I’m getting reactions to my more recent shit and instead it’s just this bs. Anyways thanks for 1k notes