Chapter Text
It all began in the heavenly garden.
Mu Qing was tending to the celestial plum blossoms outside his palace, appreciating the rare silence of Heaven, when it hit him. A sharp pulse behind his eyes, like a lightning strike no one else could see.
He staggered, hand bracing against the tree trunk. And then he heard it.
“Why does he always act like no one cares? Doesn’t he realize I’d die for him?”
Mu Qing froze. The voice was familiar. Too familiar.
He turned slowly, heart beginning to pound.
Feng Xin was standing a few paces behind him, arms crossed, his usual frown softened with concern.
“You okay?” Feng Xin asked aloud. “You look like you saw a ghost.”
Mu Qing stared at him. You’d what for me?
Feng Xin raised an eyebrow. “Mu Qing?”
Mu Qing straightened, brushing it off with a scowl. “I’m fine.”
But he wasn’t. Because now he was sure of two things:
One he could hear the honest thoughts of anyone near him.
And two Feng Xin was hiding something.
Something big.
Mu Qing stiffened again.
"Hm, why does he act like that… acting like he’s fine when I know he’s not. I want to give him a hug, just to let him cry into my chest. That would make him feel better."
The words echoed inside his skull, vivid and raw, clearly not said aloud, and yet…
He darted a glance at Feng Xin, who was now crouched down beside a bush, pretending to inspect some fallen petals. His expression was calm, if a little distracted.
Mu Qing blinked rapidly. No way. No. No.
There was no reason Feng Xin would think something like that. Right?
Unless…
Mu Qing looked away quickly, throat dry. Unless this ability really does make people’s thoughts bleed into mine.
And worse if that’s what Feng Xin was thinking when he was just standing nearby, what else had he never said out loud?
“…Did you say something?” Mu Qing asked suddenly, tone guarded.
Feng Xin looked up. “What? No. Just thinking.”
Mu Qing narrowed his eyes. “Hmph. Sounds dangerous.”
Feng Xin grinned faintly. “Everything I do is dangerous, haven’t you heard?”
But Mu Qing wasn’t listening anymore. His mind was racing. This wasn’t just some celestial anomaly. This was about him. And Feng Xin. And all the unsaid things sitting quietly between them for years.
And now?
Now Mu Qing could hear everything.
Mu Qing was just starting to calm down when another stray thought barged into his head.
"Hm, I need more cheese but I don’t know where to get good cheese ahh, where, where?"
Mu Qing blinked.
Cheese?
His expression froze halfway between suspicion and disbelief.
He turned slowly toward Feng Xin, who was now scratching the back of his head while staring into space with a slightly furrowed brow. Completely oblivious.
Mu Qing squinted at him. “Cheese?”
Feng Xin was startled. “What? What about cheese?”
“…Nothing,” Mu Qing muttered, turning away quickly. He rubbed his temple. So not every thought is dramatic. Some are… cheese-related.
He exhaled. How long will this last?
Mu Qing stepped through the gates of his palace, the soft clack of his boots echoing off the polished stone. He barely had time to remove his outer robe before a voice greeted him.
“Welcome back, General!” one of his younger officials said with a crisp bow.
But then clear as day a thought followed in the boy’s head:
“Wow, my general is the coolest ever. I want to be just like him.”
Mu Qing blinked. The words echoed with such raw sincerity it made his chest tighten unexpectedly.
He glanced sideways at the official, who was now standing ramrod straight and trying to look perfectly composed.
Mu Qing cleared his throat, unsure why he felt… touched. “Good work while I was gone,” he said, curt but not unkind.
The official’s eyes lit up. “Y-yes, sir!”
Mu Qing turned away, but a faint blush threatened to rise to his cheeks. This… might not be so bad after all.