Chapter Text
Another day and another quest from the System. It's not as difficult as he expected it to be. It's atleast easier than what he had to do last week. He swears that sometimes it seems like the system wants him to suffer on purpose.
After that whole ordeal, he was relieved when he got a notification that the system would be offline for a day to update itself. That day was peaceful for him since it meant that he doesn't have to do any of the System's biddings. All he did that day was grade papers and eat mangos.
But now it's back, and immediately it gave him a quest. He dreaded it but after he found out that it was just to kill a pretty weak beast he was relieved. Finally, a quest that requires minimum effort.
Honestly the beast, called leaf critters, weren't that strong and he almost felt guilty for killing them. Keyword 'almost', those little shits love to burrow themselves inside animals and killing it from the inside. It's doesn't affect humans though, which he was grateful that Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky didn't make it so. If he did then it would be a whole other can of worms that makes his skin crawl.
[Quest: "Small but Cruel" had been completed (≧▽≦)]
[500+ B Points]
[And for Host's hard work, this System has a surprise for him (ʃƪ＾3＾）]
"A surprise?" Shen Qingqiu raised an eyebrow. The System was too happy for it to be good news for him. "What surprise? And why?" He asked.
[Host's surprise is waiting for him at Qing Jing Peak's Bamboo house (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧]
Shen Qingqiu was annoyed. How dare the System ignore him? He decided that it's easier if he just got home and saw it for himself inside of standing there upset because someone didn't acknowledge him.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
When he finally arrived at the Bamboo House he started speculating about what will greet him when he opens the door. He doesn't know what the System recognizes as a surprise but knowing it, it's another quest. He fully believes that when he opens the door he is going to be greeted by a blue screen that says 'New Quest!'. But when he opened the door there was nothing there. Everything seemed normal, nothing was out of place and no one was there.
He went to his bedroom and saw...
"..." He was dumbfounded, to say the least. He walked to his bed and on top of it was a small doll that looked exactly like him. How was he sure that it was him? Well he doesn't exactly know anyone else who wears Qing Jing Peak Lord robes and crown.
He picked it up and it was soft. More importantly it was dressed and styled to look exactly like him down to the clothes and his hair. The doll had this >:3 face that he would've thought was cute if it wasn't him. He stared at it for a while before speaking.
"System...What the fuck?" Was all he could say as he was in a lost for words.
[Did Host like his Prize? (◕ᴗ◕✿)]
"Why is there a doll of me? Where did this come from? Also what?" He was a little frustrated at himself for being so lost for words. Why is he acting like this over a doll?
[This is this System's new feature! (≧▽≦)]
[For every quest Host completes, along with B points, he will gain a prize in the shape of dolls. (ʘᴗʘ✿)]
[The dolls, called Omodoki Dolls, will vary in design. From Host U02 himself to his fellow peak lords, as long as they exist in this world they will be turned into a marketable plushie. The dolls Host gets will never repeat, meaning Host will get unique looking dolls everytime.]
"...Ok." Was all Shen Qingqiu could say. He was familiar with Omodoki Dolls as he would buy ones of his favorite characters when he was Shen Yuan. The idea of getting free merch of Proud Immortal Demon Way characters did excite him but-
"Why dolls?"
[Why not? 乁| ･ 〰 ･ |ㄏ]
"That's not- nevermind." He gave up on arguing with the System. He's just gonna end up angrier and he's not gonna let the System rage bait him.
He looks at the doll on his hand again. The details on the doll was really intricate, it was also really high quality; the fabric of the doll's clothes are the same as his robes. The hair is fabric so it can't be combed but hey atleast he doesn't need to style it. The only thing bothering him is the face. It looks too smug for being a doll. For some reason he has the urge to throw it.
He puts it on the shelf where he keeps all his other valuables. The System said that doing quests now rewards him with Dolls of Proud Immortal Demon Way characters. Which means that he will eventually need a shelf for all the dolls he will get. He thought about getting a doll of Luo Binghe.
[...Loading]
Luo Binghe walks through the hallway of the Bamboo House. His Shizun was currently away on a Peak Lord meeting. He would've preferred if his Shizun stayed home with him but atlas. He just finished cleaning the shelves and is in his way to his Shizun's room. He loves this part of his job, he loves cleaning his Shizun's sleeping quarters. Mostly because he gets to touch his Shizun's bed. Just imagining his Shizun sleeping on that bed, all relaxed and wearing nothing but his inner robe makes him feel... He shakes his head and mentally scolds himself for having such thoughts about his innocent Shizun.
He opens the door to his Shizun's room and immediately notice something on his Shizun's shelf. It's...a doll? The doll looks nothing like any other doll he has seen before. It has big eyes that are the exact color as his Shizun's eyes, it's robes are designed with the same details as his Shizun's robes, it's hair is fabric but it's in the shape of his Shizun's hair. The doll is a one to one copy of Shen Qingqiu. It's a perfect copy aside from it's expression. It looks smug, not unlike his Shizun's usual aloof and elegant look. Whoever made this doll definitely did not know his Shizun well.
Luo Binghe stared at doll with wide eyes and open mouth like an idiot for a while before reaching for the doll. He hesitated for a minute, he thought about what his Shizun would've thought if he finds out that someone touched it. But then decide that whatever Shizun doesn't know won't hurt him.
He grabbed it from the shelf and handled it with gentle hands. It's soft, the texture of the fabric is the same as his Shizun's robes. His finger rubbed against the chin of the doll, it then moved towards it's ear. The doll, no matter how inaccurate it's expression is, is still so adorable. He hugged it and the way it felt when he held it close. Luo Binghe felt like he was gonna explode. He had this wide smile that made him look crazy.
He giggled to himself, he wanted to keep it for himself. But he knew he couldn't. It's his Shizun's, and he's not gonna take something from his Perfect and Elegant Shizun.
A thought suddenly popped up in his brain. Why would Shizun have a doll of himself? Was this custom made by him? Did someone give this to his Shizun?
...
That thought made something inside Binghe darken. The thought of someone giving his Shizun a gift. Something so detailed too? Who would give something like this to his Shizun? Is it someone he knew? It has to be. The details on the doll are so intricate that only someone close to him could make it. But why? What does this doll represent? Is it a courting gift?
...
For a moment there he thought about throwing the doll away. He pulled the doll away from his chest and stared at it. It doesn't look like it has any talismans that could be harmful to his Shizun but the thought that someone gave this to his Shizun as a gift. He thought about throwing the doll away.
Immediately he slapped himself for having such thoughts. Who was he to have the audacity to throw away his Shizun's belongings?! This doll was probably made by Shizun. He wouldn't be surprised since his Shizun is talented and perfect in every way. He scolds himself for thinking about throwing something that his Shizun probably made away.
He puts the doll back to where it was before, cleaned the room and gave himself 100 laps around the peak for being so shameless around his Shizun's doll.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Shen Qingqiu has returned after the Peak Lord meeting. It wasn't anything important just money stuff and other things he doesn't remember. The only thing he remembers is Airplane stuttering during his presentation.
When he gets home he was greeted by Luo Binghe and his food. He is always happy to eat his food. He would praise him but it would've been to out of character so he settled with patting his head instead.
As he ate the congee he couldn't help but think that he forgot something. Something important...
Luo Binghe was assigned to clean the Bamboo House today...
Holy fuck he didn't hide the doll! He looked at Binghe and Binghe averted his gaze. Holy shit he saw the doll. Oh my lord Luo Binghe please don't think that. This master was not a narcissist for having a doll of himself. This master is not childish the System gave it to him! The doll also looked nothing like any other doll from this era. The doll's anime eyes probably weirded him out!
He should've hid the doll. Why the fuck did he display it like it was just any normal doll. He should've-
"Shizun?" His train of thought was interrupted by Luo Binghe's voice. "May this disciple be bold and ask him a question?" He asked with that cute eyes of his. Oh the protagonist is too cute! How could he say no?
"You may ask." He said in a disinterested tone of voice. He cringed at himself for doing that.
"This disciple was cleaning Shizun's sleeping quarters when he noticed a...peculiar doll on Shizun's shelf. May this disciple ask what it is?" Luo Binghe tilted his head slightly.
Oh my god he did see it holy shit I'm gonna kill myself.
"It's a doll." He said blankly. He didn't know how to tell his disciple that it was an Omodoki Doll that he got as a prize.
"Yes but..." Luo Binghe was quite for a moment as if thinking about how to word his sentence in a way that would not offend Shen Qingqiu.
"Does Luo Binghe think the doll is inadequate?" Shen Qingqiu asked.
"No! This disciple was just...surprised by the doll. It looks good." Luo Binghe exclaimed as he lowered his head. "This disciple was just curious on where Shizun got a the unique doll." He muttered loud enough for Shen Qingqiu to hear.
Shen Qingqiu was quite for a moment. Binghe thought that the doll looked good? It's probably because he just didn't want to offend him but knowing that Luo Binghe thinks the doll looks good. Before he could even think about his what he was about to say he suddenly blurted out.
"I made it." After those words were said they were both silent for a moment.
[50+ Protagonist Satisfaction Points!]
What?! Why?! Binghe liked that?
"Well, this disciple thinks that Shizun made a very unique and beautiful doll." Binghe said as he smiled at Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu was a little flustered and he wanted to hide his face behind his fan, but he's eating so no fan for him.
"Good, do not tell anyone about this." This will be a secret between them and Airplane when he eventually tells him. Luo Binghe nodded.
Shen Qingqiu was relieved that Luo Binghe didn't think he was weird for having a doll of himself. Meanwhile Luo Binghe was relieved that the doll was not a gift from anyone.