Modern Au Where Yue Qingyuan Is The Perfectly Competent CEO Of A Multinational Conglomerate Who Also

Yue Qingyuan didn't value his soul like one who possesses their soul does, because his soul belonged to Shen Jiu. In the same way, Shen Jiu swore his life to Yue Qingyuan, and so unlike a man who possesses his life, Shen Jiu did not enjoy it. In the end, neither of them got to keep their life, or soul.

Something about both of them entering Wan Jian's swordhalls for the other, Yue Qingyuan to claim a sword, to put a claim to strength, strength enough to rescue Shen Jiu. Shen Jiu, entering Wan Jian to grasp a physical symbol of what he has carried. The physical bond of his loyalty he cannot abandon, the devotion he cannot sever from himself.

(Something about a sword from Wan Jian tying one to Cang Qiong, so even if Shen Jiu could not belong with Yue Qingyuan, if he belonged to Cang Qiong, and Cang Qiong belonged to Yue Qingyuan...)

Them both bearing the physical symbols of their devotion, loyalty, and desire, affixing those symbols to their waists daily, for years, and in that same day, walking past one another, and feeling only heartache.

Miscommunication is Qijiu’s favorite pastime, you see, because to Shen Jiu, Xuan Su has a bitter meaning: A symbol of how Yue Qingyuan had truly moved past him. How he ascended, abandoning Shen Jiu to a mortal fate, an untouchable immortal cultivator.

Xiu Ya, to Yue Qingyuan. Yue Qi.

A reminder. A symbol of his greatest peace, a monument to his greatest failure. For Shen Jiu could master a sword when Yue Qingyuan could not. Yet, how could Yue Qi not feel comforted by his dearest person’s glorious triumph? To each of them, the other’s sword as a reminder of their greatest pain.

Poetically, PIDW!Shen Qingqiu consuming the shards of Xuan Su. The shards of Xuan Su, Yue Qingyuan’s soul, his broken ascendancy. Shen Jiu consuming that, subsuming it to himself, tying Yue Qingyuan to him, in a way that SVSSS!Shen Jiu did not get a chance to.

It is either the shards of Xuan Su, or a broken red string.

Someone said that Yue Qingyuan is never on time.

To which I thought, and perhaps, this could be true, Shen Jiu is always too early.

Qijiu seems eternally meant to pass each other, never meant to meet.

Shen Jiu, leaving the inferno of Qiu Manor, too early. Yue Qingyuan, finding cold ashes, too late.

Shen Jiu, dying before his time, or at least, his soul departing, too early. Yue Qingyuan, speaking painful truth instead of remonstrating his own folly, too late.

We don’t know what Yue Qingyuan and SVSSS!Shen Jiu’s last words were to each other.

Ashes and tears to go around!

Ten thousand arrows and a broken sword.

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

sorting this out before the dlc drops 👍

I keep brainrotting on the idea of Shen Jiu and Shen Yuan being twins and Shen Yuan’s physical body dying as a child when they were at the Qiu estate, but Shen Jiu, in distress, did something that locked Shen Yuan’s soul to his own body. And Shen Yuan has been body sharing with his brother in the background without control for decades until the qi deviation flipped them.

Fourteenth Absurd April 2025 Poll (MXTX)

on the yqy gets truth serumed thing: we find out because during a peak lord meeting, lqg says smth smth sqq sux and i hate him, and usually what gets said is "shidi is permitted to his own opinion, of course, but blablabla-" what comes out the sect leaders mouth THIS time, however, is "oh fuck your mother you foul tempered brat; jiu can do as he pleases and so help me if he threatens to leave because of this i will use your skin as a rug ^^" no one was ready.

YES

Exactly this is the vibe I picture if Yue Qingyuan got dosed with a truth serum.

Someone says something about how Shen Qingqiu's whoring is dragging the sect's reputation down, but what could they really expect from a man like that. Complete with a meaningful glance. And of course it's expected that Yue Qingyuan will take his side, even if he tries to word it diplomatically, they all know how he is...

And then Yue Qingyuan says "I'm going to break your jaw and rip out your lying tongue for slandering Shen Jiu. We don't even have anything in the rules forbidding sex you stupid piece of-" at which point Liu Qingge and Mu Qingfang both tackle him because something is clearly wrong with him and they can't rule out possession right away.

Everybody is mortified when Mu Qingfang confirms it's a truth pollen, but Shen Qingqiu just sits there completely floored because Yue Qingyuan would commit violence for him? Despite everything?? Then why hasn't he done any of that?! At least put in a little more effort when standing up for him to discourage the rich idiots from picking on him! Useless shixiong.

They wrap Yue Qingyuan in immortal binding cables because they don't trust his word that he always thinks like this and the risk of him acting on it is not one the can take, and he kneels in front of Shen Qingqiu and tells him that he would do anything to have his trust, his love back. If Shen Jiu asks him to rip out his useless, treacherous tongue, to crack open his chest and hand him his still beating heart as proof of his love, he would do so even if it's the last thing he would do in this life.

And Shen Qingqiu swoons because okay, there's something fishy here, but that's the kind of devotion he wants (devotion to match his own) and he is still fucking mad, don't get him wrong, but keep talking he's listening.

i will fall in love with you

over and over again,

i dont care how where or when

no matter how long it's been

you're mine.

don't tell me you're "not the same person"

you're always my husband and i've been waiting,

waiting,

waiting,

waiting

if sy's brothers in the modern world are actually yqy and sj i will riot. bc sy has been subjected to their "divorced but never married" and "i will kill for you but i will not tell you that i love you" shtick that he will create spotify playlists for them, lovingly labeled as follows:

- "er-ge when da-ge fucks up again" with the sassiest breakup songs ever. sy def plays it in the car when qijiu has their monthly cold shoulder fights (yqy is tearing up). possibly includes good 4 u, abcdefu, ain't shit

- "da-ge internally" feat. the saddest and most lovesick songs ever. i feel like devil's backbone def fits. can't think much bc i am in class rn

sy and his meimei plays "bad idea right?" every now and then bc they're getting tired of qijiu's shit

if sy's brothers in the modern world are actually yqy and sj i will riot. bc sy has been subjected to their "divorced but never married" and "i will kill for you but i will not tell you that i love you" shtick that he will create spotify playlists for them, lovingly labeled as follows:

- "er-ge when da-ge fucks up again" with the sassiest breakup songs ever. sy def plays it in the car when qijiu has their monthly cold shoulder fights (yqy is tearing up). possibly includes good 4 u, abcdefu, ain't shit

- "da-ge internally" feat. the saddest and most lovesick songs ever. i feel like devil's backbone def fits. can't think much bc i am in class rn

sy and his meimei plays "bad idea right?" every now and then bc they're getting tired of qijiu's shit