Work Text:
Shang Qinghua sat anxiously in his seat across from Shen Qingqiu who was arguing with Qi Qingqi over the Sect’s third quarter budget that he, the logistics and supply chain expert, who has actual spending records from the past 50-odd years, had painstakingly prepared for this meeting.
The sect’s ice princess and fiery beauty were eviscerating all of Shang Qinghua’s efforts.
Effortlessly.
‘Excuse me while I bring out my stack of money-finding talismans and I’ll get back to you about your emergency supply of guqin strings and custom-dyed, Grade A silks.’ He thinks bitterly.
It’s so very easy to complain and whine about funding and repair costs (looking at you Liu-juju), but when you’re the person who’s supposed to deal with the actual numbers and timeframes of major projects, whether to hire master craftsmen or assign disciples, when to expect supplies to run low, when and how much food the sect needs, how much money they can reasonably expect to obtain from the sale of monster parts that the Bai Zhan disciples kindly leave in bloody heaps on An Ding’s front steps for processing when they should go to… but never mind all that.
Shang Qinghua would much rather fantasize about going back to his little leisure house, barring his doors and windows and taking a nap.
A forever nap, maybe.
But that wasn’t going to happen. Sleep? What sleep? Who’s she? Never heard of her! There were two (2) sets of shoulders this sect rested on. Shang Qinghua and their ever dependable (except for that one time) sect leader, Yue Qingyuan.
… okay, two times, but who’s counting?
Shang Qinghua was definitely counting.
Look. Last time big brother Yue went down the mountain, Sha Hualing showed up and attacked Qiong Ding, then Shen-bro got himself poisoned, and guess who was put in charge of cleaning up the mess Liu Qingge made chasing those brats away! That’s right. AN. DING.
‘Liu-bro! My dude! Why did you come in like a wrecking ball? Why aren’t you pushing up daisies right now?’
Shang Qinghua does question these unexpected happenings, but digging into any answers was going to look hella sus, and honestly, he really had enough shit to take care of just keeping this sect running. Who has time to worry about potential catastrophic plot deviations when the System threatens to take away points if he so much as breathes wrong?
Not Airplane!
Yue-bro had that faintly pained smile on his face as Wei Qingwei asked if there were any extra funds available. Apparently Wan Jian needed more raw materials for whetstones and scabbards.
‘Et tu, Wei-shixiong!?’
Yue Qingyuan turned to Shang Qinghua with a tired look. He knew. They both knew. And worse, they were goddamn professionals , so they couldn’t shout out their real feelings of, ‘No, martial brother Wei, we can’t actually turn the mountains upside down and shake them until the money falls out.’
Instead Shang Qinghua puts on his best customer service face, “Wan Jian’s request is, of course, important to the sect. This Shidi will do his utmost to source and secure the materials.”
There was a shuttering sound of a fan snapping shut, “What meaningless and hedging reassurances our dear Shidi offers. One can count the forty-three days since Shang-shidi didn’t quite promise Qing Jing new oil and pigments for paint. Though, in this Shixiong’s experience, words are quite meaningless without follow-through.”
Shang Qinghua winced. For his own sake, of course, but also for Yue Qingyuan’s. Shang Qinghua can actually pinpoint the second when the sect leader’s heart rips in half. Shen Qingqiu could be so casually vicious, Shang Qinghua was a little bit in awe of the man.
He’d never admit it outloud, but he sometimes imagined Shen-shixiong taking his fan and-
“I’m sure Shang-shidi hasn’t forgotten.” Yue Qingyuan soothed. This sad boy can fit so much emotional pain inside him!
“Ah, haha, nope. The request is still on the books, Shen-shixiong! Several of the requested pigments are, unfortunately, quite rare. We have the oil stored in our warehouse-,”
“Then kindly send it to Qing Jing, Shidi.”
“Ahaha, well, we try to keep our fulfillment in-,”
“Thank you, Shidi.” Shen Qingqiu said with a smile so evil, Shang Qinghua got butterflies. Why were all of the peak lords so goddamn hot? It’s not fair! Worse, being metaphorically spit on by his Shixiong, did things to him. He’s pretty sure a therapist would have a field day trying to figure out why the hell he got off on attractive men who said and did super mean things to him. But uh, lucky for him, psychology wasn’t actually a consideration in this world!
Was that sarcasm? Who knows!
Ok, but real-talk, everyone at this table would probably benefit from having a therapist.
Him included!
“Ahaha, right. Right. I’ll… I’ll have the items sent over before the end of the week, Shixiong.”
The silent glare Shang Qinghua received over the top of that green and white fan communicated a promise of malicious retribution should he miss this deadline.
Haha, deadline.
Is it so much to ask for a lifeline instead?
System?
[Special Item: Lifeline is not available to User UV001 at this time. Please try again later. The System offers 24 hour service. We hope you provide you with the best possible transmigration experience.]
Shang Qinghua was so, so tired. And so, so lonely. No one appreciated his efforts, except maybe Yue-bro, but only because he was grateful it wasn’t him keeping the books.
Only the two of them seemed to really, truly understand the seven-layer-dip of bullshit sect business actually was. This must be karma, and Shen-fucking-Qingqiu was handing it to them like his sole purpose was to make them as miserable as he was.
Rude.
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