#qiubing
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i mean..........y'all know me - if you give me even just absolute CRUMBS of a confession scene, my brain will read into it!! idc, this is how ep 35 actually went for me 🥺
note: spoilers for ep 35
“This should have ended three years ago,” Qiu Qingzhi says, because he can read the guilt on Li Bing’s face, even though Li Bing has done no wrong by him.
“I’m sorry,” Qiu Qingzhi says. For what happened three years ago, for leaving him to deal with the aftermath of his father’s death alone, for not being honest with him, for turning him into a demon, for-
For dying now, when Li Bing could still have use of him.
Li Bing’s tears fall. “I know.”
“I’m running out of time,” Qiu Qingzhi tells him. Li Bing shakes his head, in denial, but Qiu Qingzhi knows his own limits, knows he’ll meet his end today, and he shouldn’t, he really shouldn’t because it’s so selfish, but he doesn’t want to go without letting the words that he swallowed back years ago out now. “Li Bing, I-”
“Love me, I know,” Li Bing helps him finish. “I know. I know.”
Li Bing has always been smarter than he is. More intuitive.
Qiu Qingzhi has loved him from the start; Li Bing has probably known all this time.
“You know,” Qiu Qingzhi echoes, and manages a smile.
“It’s the same for me,” Li Bing tells him, voice small, shaking. “Of course I know.”
In a different life, at a different time, this confession would have changed everything.
Now, it just breaks Qiu Qingzhi’s heart.
He reaches up with effort, squeezes Li Bing’s hand tightly one last time. He cannot stay by Li Bing’s side any longer, cannot love him and grow old with him, but he can fix things. He’s put Li Bing in this situation, turned him into a monster against his will, and caused him so much grief. He knows how to fix it, and he needs to tell Li Bing.
“Medicine,” he tells Li Bing. And then, “Go.”
It’s not such a bad ending, dying in his love’s arms.
#white cat legend#qiubing#ficlets#spoilers in tags#also absolutely GUTTED this happened like yzh was JUST THERE#i was like half expecting him to turn qqz to a cat demon also!!! or at the v least REVIVING HIM
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I haven’t been drawing for more than a year, so I’m not sure I remember how to draw anymore, but this fic by @randomingoftherandomness just made me wanna draw white haired li bing in red
#currently so obsessed with qiubing#maybe I’ll even unpack my watercolors to draw properly#we’ll see#when work is a bit slower#or during the holidays#will definitely draw them properly#but anyway I don’t really know what tang dynasty wedding attire is supposed to look like#so pardon me for taking liberties#qiubing#white cat legend
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Fic: shovel talk (Qiubing)
A/N: you know why you're tagged @snicker-doodles 😝
--
"May I know to what displeasure do I owe to have you all..." Qiu Qingzhi trails off, lazily flicking his gaze up from his documents to eye up the five men currently fidgeting under his focus. "Here."
This seems to cause a furious rush of whispers as Alibaba elbows the stocky one he knows is Sun Bai, while Cui Bei and Chen Shi side steps the whole mess. Eventually the glib tongued Wang Qi clears his throat.
"This is..." He smiles, bowing deeply with a smile that would not look out of place on the face of a swindler. "General Qiu, we of Mingjing Hall, have come to ask... That is, we represent the vested interests of Mingjing Hall--"
"If you're going to be beating around the bush like this, might I just make this easier and get Li Bing here to explain it to me why five of his men have practically forced their way into my hall to have an audience with me?"
This seems to spur them into a physical reaction of having the fear of the gods put right into them. Good, Qiu Qingzhi thinks, maybe they can hurry up and tell me what they want so that I can get back to my reports--
"What are your intentions with Li Bing!"
Shocked silence ensues while all eyes turn to look at the quiet Cui Bei who is practically wilting in mortification.
"And what would have given you the idea that I... Had any 'intentions' with him in the first place?"
"This..."
Eyeing them up for a bit, he sighs. Qiu Qingzhi sets aside his report and neatly steeples his fingers. "Go back to Mingjing Hall and come back in two days with a properly constructed script of what you'd like to say to me in defence of your Vice Minister. If you're going to give me a shovel talk, do it right."
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The suffering continues.
Lamenting, not for the first time since he trusted his heart to be honest, at the way his ears are burning while the lilt of laughter fills the night quiet, he tries to turn away from his companion in the bed they share. Only to be bodily hauled back into his arms.
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore," Li Bing chuckles. Hand slipping into Qiu Qingzhi's, he tucks his body back into the warmth of their embrace. "So, they came to give you a shovel talk, eh?"
"It was embarrassing. I was embarrassed for them."
"So you gave the kids homework to do," Li Bing giggles, breath dancing over Qiu Qingzhi's neck. "How adorable."
"You deserve people who can give a good shovel talk in defence of you," Qiu Qingzhi says simply. As if stating facts like how the sun rises from the East and sets in the West, Li Bing deserves nothing but the best.
A gentle touch settles over his heart then. "So do you, too. And I'll gladly accept any shovel talk that comes my way for you."
Qiu Qingzhi smiles a little at that. Brushing his lips to the other man's brow, he murmurs, "No need. I already gave my heart to you since the beginning."
#qiubing#qiu qingzhi#li bing#qiu Qingzhi x li bing#white cat legend#white cat legend fic#Gab writes stuff#wheeeeeeeeeee
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this is the ending that we deserve, qiu qingzhi survived and they live happily ever after, catbing deserves to sleep on his hubby’s lap lol
#fan art#digital watercolor#qiubing#white cat legend#when I say I’m obsessed#legit bought a new ipad so I can draw better#for this!#damn it’s been a minute since I’m shipping this hard#loool
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Bamboo Horses 竹馬
* 青梅竹馬 : lit. green plums and hobby-horse (idiom), fig. innocent children's games, childhood sweethearts, a couple who grew up as childhood friends. Green plums for girls, stick-horses for boys.
...☕?/commission
#white cat legend#大理寺少卿游#li bing#qiu qingzhi#li bing x qiu qingzhi#qiubing#cdrama#fanart#lyselkatzcreations#cnovelartreblogs
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Fic: You're taking my heart by storm
Fandom: White Cat Legend (大理寺少聊游)
Relationship: Qiu Qingzhi/Li Bing
Chapter 1/? [read it on ao3]
A/N: based off the scene in episode 29, where Lai Zhongshu tries to wreck everything.
Lai Zhongshu storms into his estate with his stupidly loyal men held captive behind him, demanding that he do something about them, and the last piece of the puzzle that is Qiu Qingzhi slots into place.
The memory of Qiu Qingzhi staring down the shaft of the arrow at Yi Zhi Hua as if they knew each other resurfaces, unbidden. The way Yi Zhi Hua seemed almost afraid of Qiu Qingzhi–
(Then there was also the way Qiu Qingzhi had shielded him from the arrow, why he had doggedly kept at their tails during the Black Rakshasa investigation, demanding to have the case).
Ah, Li Bing thinks. This is why you were striving so hard for a promotion. This is why you distanced yourself. This is why you changed so much in three years.
He had once asked Qiu Qingzhi what it was that twisted him beyond recognition, what it was that took his childhood friend– his childhood love– beyond his reach. Li Bing could no longer understand the Qiu Qingzhi that returned from the war.
The one person he once thought he understood better than his own soul was now turned stranger, the one puzzle he could not solve.
But now he has been handed the last piece. Qiu Qingzhi morphed himself into one of them because–
To protect me? Just how much have you suffered, you moron?
He nearly unravels right there, overcome by the realisation.
He would have, if it were not for Chen Shi’s uncertain call of “Li-ye?” grounding him to reality.
And so he straightens his shoulders, fixing Lai Zhongshu’s smug expression with one of indifference as he calls out, “wait.”
What else could he do, other than to send these painfully loyal–innocent– people away for their own safety, lest they get hurt again on his behalf?
It is a heartbreaking realisation to come to, that Qiu Qingzhi might have been right to distance himself.
As long as it kept them safe, he would keep his distance.
(Except that they differed in one area.
Li Bing had been involved in this from the start, he chose to fight against whoever it was orchestrating all this. These men had nothing to do with this, before everything bubbled over and dragged them into it.
He would just have to prove to Qiu Qingzhi that he, too, has changed. He is no longer the sickly boy who needed his protection, he could hold his own against the world, even if he was alone.
No matter how much he feared being alone).
#the more stressed i am the more the brainworms come out#is the pattern im seeing#(definitely not ignoring my 3/4ths written Zhanhua fic that has been sitting in my gdocs)#white cat legend#qiubing#why is it still not an official tag on ao3 T-T#rose writes
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Just wanted to share a wonderful Qiubing fic I came across on the Chinese sites that scratched some of the canon-ending-upset itch. 🥰
I have no idea what everyone's appetite is for reading machine translated fanfics (and unfortunately, Google likes to translate Li Bing's name into 'Li Cake' 🤣)... but if people are interested, I might share some of the fics I come across. (Personally, I have a very low tolerance for MTL fics and never read them... but the English fandom for Qiubing is still too small, and I'm already trudging through the Lofter pages in search of content anyway... so I figured I might as well share what I find haha.)
Fortunately, while searching on Lofter requires an account, accessing the individual blog pages do not. So you shouldn't have to deal with tedious account creation should you choose to read some fic. You just have to deal with crappy MTL.
About this fic I'm sharing though:
Title (It's a saying, which, via my crappy translation, equates roughly to): "To wish you a long life"
Notes (my own): A sort of what-if fix-it fic, in which Li Bing spiritually(?) travels repeatedly to an altered timeline in which his father did not die that fateful night. Cue themes of sickly!Li Bing (per his canon younger self), a doting Qiu Qingzhi, Li Bing desperately trying to change the 'past' so Qiu Qingzhi doesn't die... it's sweet.
So yes, if people are interested / don't think the MTL is too horrific, let me know and I'll share more! Or I'll share them anyway as a way to archive my own reading notes because I don't trust Lofter to maintain account access predictably.
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I wrote i lil fic with our favourite couple, take a look!
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Title: White Cat Deity
Paring: Qiu Qingzhi/Li Bing
Chapter: 1/1 (i will write a second if you want)
Plot: Li Bing returns to Shandu after three years but as soon as he sets foot in the city he turns into a half cat, is kidnapped and meets an old acquaintance.
or in alternative
Li Bing is the classical DID (Damsel In Distress) and General Qiu rescue a stray cat.
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How Li Bing look in his Hybrid form in my fic
#white cat legend#white cat legend fanfiction#ao3 fanfic#li bing#ryan ding#ding yuxi#qiu qingzhi#general qiu#miles wei#wei zheming#qiubing#my first fic in this fandom#don't worry i will write another one#and a lot more#because this fandom need them
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Qiu Qingzhi Li Bing ~ Love story White Cat Legend #sweet #whitecatlegend...
youtube
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April 2024 card!
Remeber to tag your fics with fandoms and warnings if needed, and @ us! Happy writing! <3
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absolutely entranced by shows that are majorly silly but still manage to nail the angst
#this is the formula unfortunately that has both mlc and wcl still spinning around in my head#I keep writing wcl posts especially and having to relegate them to my drafts because I'm going on so many tangents#and having seen donghua and live action for wcl keeps me drawing so many comparisons but it's so fascinating#to see which aspects they retained vs which aspects were introduced. and ofc been making my way properly thru the manhua too#(as opposed to reading random panels and checking for donghua comparison reasons) which is just letting me appreciate that#honestly both adaptations are really good at what they do (donghua wrt qsj + lang bailing. cdrama wrt qiubing + side charas)#but yeah for both wcl and mlc they both know and engage with the ridiculousness so when the tone shifts you pay attention#trigun further down the angst scale as default but also a good example of silly-angsty ping pong#ooh dw too actually. okay I shut up now but yeah
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Qiubing Xianxia AU
I’ve been rewatching love you seven times because of Ding Yuxi, and it gave me this xianxia AU idea for qiubing.
The drama version of Qiu Qingzhi had been nerfed a lot in comparison to the manhua and donghua, cause he’s supposed to be very very strong to the point he can decimate a whole army all by himself, so, Qiu Qingzhi is definitely the strongest God of War from the Heavenly realm.
As for Li Bing, I really like the demon realm storyline in love you seven times, so, Li Bing is a cat demon who managed to become the new Demon King after defeating the previous King.
After the last great war, the Heavenly and Demon realm have been at peace for thousands of years. They don’t usually interact with each other, and both have currently been fighting a common enemy from the Devil realm.
One day, Qiu Qingzhi got hurt after being ambushed by some assassins from the Devil realm and he accidentally fell to the Demon realm. Li Bing found him, then help to nurse him back to health. This is how they got to know each other.
After getting nursed back to health, Li Bing found out that Qiu Qingzhi is very strong, and for the first time in his life has met someone that can defeat him and also manhandle him with ease. Which, he’s really, really into, so… yeah.
As for Qiu Qingzhi, he really feel thankful, and swore to always protect Li Bing in return, but also, this cat demon is really really pretty, and his cat form is very cute, and also, the sound he made when being manhandled is very… ahem… interesting.
Qiu Qingzhi did eventually return to the Heavenly realm, cause he’s the God of War, and he’s got tons of work to do. But he will sneak out to go to the Demon realm from time to time to hang out with Li Bing, and they also often help each other in dealing with troubles caused by the Devil realm.
One day Qiu Qingzhi has to go and do his mortal trial. Li Bing sneaked in to find him and give him a protective amulet, but accidentally fell in to the pool of rebirth with him. And so they are both being reborn as humans and has to do a mortal trial together.
So, it’s basically a xianxia AU where white cat legend drama universe is their mortal trial lol.
Yeah, well, this idea just somehow got into my head and I just had to get it out somehow.
#qiubing#white cat legend#my fic ideas#I'm still very much obsessed#might draw them again#if I have time#this is definitely inspired by that cut piggyback scene#and by how good Xiao Ding at playing cats#loooool
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Fic: everything they cannot see (Qiubing)
A/N: @xinyuehui @snicker-doodles 💖
—
Chen Shi will be the first to admit that he’s not the sharpest tool in the box. But what he is, is insightful when it counts. More than that, when it truly counts, Chen Shi sees what others may not.
Just like now.
General Qiu is careful about it. To a better man, it would have been practically impossible to pick up on the ways the little things peek through the mask of stoicism and severity. But Chen Shi is just a normal man. And so, he sees the way the General turns to Bing-ye — the slow tilt of his face to the man like how a flower seeks the sun.
He sees the way General Qiu looks at Bing-ye. Sees how he looks at him with shades of yearning and longing, as if his very soul burns to be near him, and every part of it coloured by a deep and undeniable fondness that is there one moment and gone at the exhale of a breath.
And when Bing-ye turns to face General Qiu, every trace of that is gone.
Chen Shi marvels. Sits at awe in the way the mask on General Qiu’s face shutters over into place so that quickly, one could even dispute it was ever gone in the first place.
“Chen Shi?”
Bing-ye and General Qiu are looking at him. He manages a quick answer, squeezing it out around a squeak. Oh, he should probably start paying more attention to what they’re planning.
#qiubing#white cat legend#qiu qingzhi#li bing#chen shi#qiu qingzhi x li bing#li bing x qiu qingzhi#gab writes stuff#white cat legend fic#I am very much employed. still. oh joy (derogatory)
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Qiu Qingzhi and Li Bing back in the days : You look at me who loves looking at you.
ISTG the way Li Bing looked at Qiu Qingzhi who was looking at him was more like a shy junior who looked at his senior he had a crush on. A part of him secretly hoped that Qiu Qingzhi wouldn't know his feelings towards him, yet another part of him also hoped that his secret crush would share the same feelings as him and then would make the first move on him. He plastered a shy smile as if he tried to pretend that he didn't have any butterflies flying in his stomach.
The drama wasn't about bromance, but really they just skipped the B and jumped into romance. LOL. Qiu Qingzhi x Li Bing boldly crossed the line of mere brothership. There's no way in Hell you would treat your brother as an adult like that. Not a million times.
Note : They didn't cut the scene where Wang Qi jumped on Cui Bei's back, but they cut the cute scene where Qiu Qingzhi called Li Bing to come over and Li Bing ran to him happily. He jumped on Qiu Qingzhi's back. Qiu Qingzhi was more than happy to give him a piggyback ride for free. He carried him like the most precious thing he wished he could have.
Qiu Qingzhi and Li Bing now : I'm just a little too not over you. Just a little! You hear me? But how are you so fine without me? I've been crying for you since the day you went away! Am I that unimportant? Am I so insignificant to you? Fine! I'm going to show to the whole world that I'm also fine without you!
But of course, who could stop our Vice Minister Li from the Court of Judicial Review to act cute towards General Qiu from Jinwu Guard? Li Bing could do whatever he wished since it's Qiu Qingzhi. 撒娇 full mode was activated!
I'd never be a fan of hetero romance drama. I admit that I even always tried to avoid it like a plague because I had a great issue with the FL's half baked 撒娇 (acted like a spoiled child or coquettishly). It never failed to annoy me to the moon and back to the point that killed my mood and gave me a headache. It's the main reason why such a talented actor like Ding Yuxi managed to escape from my radar (my BL-dar, LOL).
White Cat Legend was his first drama that I watched. To be honest, at first, I didn't expect him to be that good, but just a pretty face to help selling the drama. I heard that antis said that his face was just too ordinary. Excuse you, but I had to disagree! I really had no idea which beauty standard that they used to judge Ding Yuxi's exquisite appearance. This guy surely had a pretty face and a pair of equally beautiful expressive doe eyes. His laughs were so addictive. He has fair skin and a pair of cute elf ears that made his face look smaller and innocent.
He's indeed one of the most beautiful men I've ever seen, but his acting skill was on par with his pretty face. He was so detailed in micro expression, voice, quirks, and body language. He used his real voice! I was so glad for that since I could tell his changing mood faster based on his voice. In White Cat Legend, I wonder if he merely relied on what's written on the script or more on his personal interpretation to portray Li Bing. Most of the time when Li Bing gazed at Qiu Qingzhi, it wasn't for a bestie, but a lover. It was understandable if it was a BL or B-romance drama, but it wasn't. I jumped on the QiuBing ship and then sailed, sailed, sailed, to the BL sea.
When they met again after the 3 years of separation & a bitter 'breakup', Li Bing looked at General Qiu with glassy eyes as he was so ready to burst into tears at any moment. His voice tinted with emotional; anger, sorrow, desperation, and unbearable longing. But sometimes his voice became more childish just like when he was younger. He did it only to Qiu Qingzhi, especially when he felt like testing Qiu Qingzhi's patience in every chance that he got. I wonder how Qiu Qingzhi could suppress the urge not to jump on that naughty cat and attack him. By 'attack', I meant wringing Li Bing's delicate neck, not that typical +18 'attack' deflowering him in bed.
Gotta admit that Ding Yuxi's 撒娇 skill is really a top-notch 撒娇! He's not exaggerating. It was just so natural. Damn, he's so cute! When I said cute, it was purely boyish cute. I wouldn't dare to describe him as unmanly. He's a versatile actor that could act as a male character with a feminine traits, just like his role as Dongfang Bubai back then. FYI, Dongfang Bubai was a male character who castrated himself in order to master a martial art in the Sunflower Manual. I didn't watch the drama, but I watched some short videos of his version of Dongfang Bubai. IMHO, he's the best Dongfang Bubai that I've ever seen. They mostly used an actress to play the role of Dongfang Bubai. Ding Yuxi managed to balance masculinity and femininity for Dongfang Bubai. Dear a bunch of half baked 撒娇 skilled actress, you guys better learn that skill from this xiao-Dingding, so your acting can be less annoying.
Ding Yuxi as Dongfang Bubai
Tbh, I wouldn't mind if the MUA (makeup artist) dolled him up like Dongfang Bubai as Li Bing. Li Bing in his big white cat mode got red eyeshadow under his eyes! Why couldn't he get it in his human form? It would be so epic and undoubtedly look so good on him.
Was the GCI version of the big white cat actually modeled after Ding Yuxi? They really looked alike! Da lizi was just like a mirror image of Ding Yuxi. Look at their eyes and lips!
I wonder if he used a certain method as an actor; shaping himself into the character or blend the character into himself. Whichever he used, it was the best way to understand the character, but also a dangerous way since it's possible that he couldn't get rid off the character even after the drama was over. It was so tricky. However, as an adult, I believe that he was over the fragile stage to find his identity. He was already on the safe side.
As for Wei Zheming, his acting really surprised me. The first time I knew him, he acted as Jing Beiyuan or Qi-ye (Lord Seventh) in Word of Honor. In White Cat Legend, he really surpassed my expectations on him. He nailed the role as Qiu Qingzhi; the left General of Imperial Guard, the General from Jinwu Guard. Most of the time he kept his face stoic and expressionless, but if you paid more attention to it, he clearly had a lot of emotions, especially for Li Bing. I was so glad that they didn't dub his original voice. Unlike when Li Bing addressed Qiu Qingzhi by his title so coldly; damn that was so cold, when Qiu Qingzhi addressed Li Bing by his title, it was full of respect. But when he addressed Li Bing by his name, you could notice the fondness in his voice. You could also sense the air of arrogance and authority whenever he used '本将' (this General) to address himself. Somehow he managed to sound so arrogant even when he used '邱莫' (this humble-self Qiu). Dude, you're not humble at all! However on the contrary, you would notice his modesty when he used '我' (I, me). He's a real two-face guy. He was so different in his monstrous mode and his Saint mode.
After learning how selfless and sincere Qiu Qingzhi was, my first reaction was; I insulted him so much behind his back. I shouldn't have done that. Oh, same, Wang Qi, same!
It was so sad that they killed Qiu Qingzhi in the drama. But it couldn't be helped since that character was too good. Qiu Qingzhi >>>>>>>>>>> Chen Shi + Wang Qi + Cui Bei + Sun Bao + Alibaba. Once he was back to Li Bing's side, the Mingjing Hall people were basically useless compared to Qiu Qingzhi. Looking back at Qiu Qingzhi x Li Bing in their past, I thought that he was actually the '妖' (demon) in duo '妖饼' (demon Bing). Oh, come on. Li Bing was a frail Young Master back then due his incurable illness. Basically he was like a beauty lamp that even a faint cold air could extinguish it in seconds. Qiu Qingzhi, on the contrary, was a strong and reliable man with wisdom. We know how capable and effective Qiu Qingzhi was in a battle. Capturing a small fry like thieves or bandits was like just a piece of cake for him. He also could make sure that Li Bing was safe and unharmed when he played detective with him.
Maybe it's because he was a slave (servant), even if Li Bing would never treat him like one, no one really would bother to pay attention on him. He was like the shadow of Li Bing who was born with silver in his mouth and so much privilege as the Young Master of an aristocratic family.
Back to the topic. If Qiu Qingzhi was still alive or managed to escape from death, he would single handedly outshine Mingjing Hall people so easily to the point Li Bing no longer needed anyone, but him. I meant it. Wanna bet? Whenever Li Bing needs someone to pamper him, just go get Qiu Qingzhi. Sorry, Chen Shi. Whenever Li Bing needs someone who's highly intelligent and is a sly fox with so many tricks in his sleeves, just go get Qiu Qingzhi. Sorry, Wang Qi. Whenever Li Bing needs someone who's so dedicated to a case and can memorize the detail of each case by heart, just go get Qiu Qingzhi. Sorry, Cui Bei. Whenever Li Bing needs a protection, just go get Qiu Qingzhi. Heck, Qiu Qingzhi could catch and tame the original Demon Cat; Yi Zhihua by himself. He can be a real monster once he puts his heart in it. Sorry, Sun Bao. Whenever Li Bing needs a translator or someone who has a lot of connection in the city, just go get Qiu Qingzhi. He's the left General of the Imperial Guard, he will be a big help with his influence. Sorry, Alibaba.
In short : It absolutely will be the supremacy of the Qiu Qingzhi era!
See? He was so good that they 'better' killed Qiu Qingzhi.
After Qiu Qingzhi's tragic death, I felt like it's Li Bing who's drapped in moonlight, lonely, and sad since no one can replace Qiu Qingzhi. It's definitely a losing game to compete with a dead man. Therefore, it's only Li Bing who remains in the tragedy. Even though in the end, he has Mingjing Hall people who stay on his side, things will never be the same.
Now what? Even though the drama was over, I couldn't move on! Help! 😭😭😭
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Fic: you're taking my heart by storm
Fandom: White Cat Legend (大理寺少卿游）
Relationship: Qiu Qingzhi/Li Bing, Qiu Qingzhi and Yi Zhihua
chapter 2/? | read it on ao3
Li Bing, Qiu Qingzhi thinks, you would have hated it here.
It is a statement he can say with absolute confidence, because he knows Li Bing– stupidly upright, unfailingly kind and accepting of everyone, no matter their status– a person like him would have detested it here, where Commanders think themselves god and discrimination is the norm.
Despite his friends best interest, he had been sorted into the slave camp, placing him back to square one.
You are not the Li Family's slave, Li Bing had said. It was true, they had treated him as an equal– anything he did, he did because he wanted to– he was not their slave, but before that, he had been someone else's.
Though it has been far too long since anyone has treated him as one, that was for sure. He had nearly forgotten how it had been like to be looked upon with such open disgust, to be spat on, and treated as if he were expendable.
(He is. Expendable, that is. But he had long since decided that he would only let one man command his fate).
Qiu Qingzhi quickly understands that it is no use risking his life while he is in the slave camp. No one ever got their due credits, to ensure that the slaves stayed at the bottom where they belonged, and it was becoming increasingly apparent that they are silently killing them off in batches.
So Qiu Qingzhi waits for his death.
He waits, and he plots his escape route in the meantime.
Sorry, Li Bing. I won't be able to fulfill your dreams.
He would be marked a traitor, a deserter once his escape was reported. He would not be able to return to Shengdu without being thrown to the Death Row.
—
“Don't come back if you're not made General!” Li Bing had playfully called after him.
Qiu Qingzhi’s step falters, and he lets himself fall onto the scorching sand. It sticks onto this sweat soaked skin, sneaking under his clothes, scratching the skin underneath.
It is burns his skin, the desert heat agonizing, but he is too tired to get up.
He writes a mental apology to Li Bing. Tries to remember how the other had looked during that night they drank together.
If he had any regrets, it was that he had not been brave enough to confess his feelings before he left. That he may never see those huge, intelligent, beautiful eyes ever again.
Qiu Qingzhi knows that he is on the verge of death, that he would not survive this day. It has been a while since he last ate, having run out of camps to raid for food and water a while back, and his legs refused to carry him any longer.
But even in the last moments of his life Li Bing continues to haunt him. Dream-Li Bing looms over him and demands that he pick himself up, that he return to Shendu safely, that he live.
(Qiu Qingzhi knows that it must be a hallucination, a sign that he is losing his grip on life– because Li Bing would never physically be able to survive a trip to the canyons, and yet he picks himself up anyway, unable to refuse Li Bing in any shape or form).
So he forces himself back up, drags himself to a crevice nearby, and plots.
He needs something to ensure that he was not branded a traitor or slave upon his return to Shendu. He needs insurance.
—
He had been suspicious about this deployment right from the start– the details did not make sense. Why deploy so many men just for the state of Zixu, whose military might was nothing compared to theirs?
Staring at the lithe demon stretching atop the coffin he had just lain in seconds ago, he can guess why, though he does not quite understand the whole picture.
It was at times like this that he sorely missed having Li Bing around. He would be able to deduce why in a matter of seconds, Qiu Qingzhi thinks.
But for now, he retreats discreetly, while the others are still transfixed by the sight before them.
“Whose blood is this?” he hears the monster snarl, and he hastens his pace. Dying to a cat did not sound like one for the historical records.
—
The monster finds him anyway, killing everyone standing between them as he invades Qiu Qingzhi’s personal space, demanding for his blood.
Qiu Qingzhi takes a slow look at the monster before him. He notes the feral look in his eyes that he usually saw in cornered animals, the tense posture that resembled those fallen from grace who refused to bow, even in their last moments, and can only pity the monster.
That such a powerful being would be degraded to a mere object, thrown around for its abilities and nothing more.
Feels sorry that he is about to do the same.
The monster obviously does not see it coming, overconfident in its own abilities as he mocks Qiu Qingzhi for being so human. Yet here he stands, staring at the demon who had fallen into his trap from his perch on the cliff, a human who has captured a demon.
He stabs the monster once more for good measure, and proceeds to tie it up.
It is nighttime when the monster finally regains consciousness, either due to the scorpion he was roasting, or the gash on his palm he'd gotten from killing the scorpion.
As expected, it immediately bargains to be set free. It offers up his blood, throws around promises of immortality and strength that a lesser man would have given in to. Qiu Qingzhi only recoils at such ideas– what good was immortality if Li Bing– cursed with a debilitating illness– would not live as long as he did?
Strength, maybe. But he was plenty strong enough himself.
His disinterest clearly upsets the monster, who starts screaming in frustration, growing increasingly desperate with his offers.
Qiu Qingzhi simply walks up to it, and breaks its fangs the same way he'd seen interrogators do to criminals. The monster flinches, wailing at his cruelty, and Qiu Qingzhi almost feels bad for it. Almost.
“Where on earth are you bringing me to?”
“Back to Shendu, in the Central Plains” Qiu Qingzhi says. It's a half-truth. The demon and the secrets it carried are the ticket to clearing his name, “someone started a ridiculous war for you, and lied to everyone. I'm taking you back, as the most important piece of evidence.”
“I can't believe there's a day that I'm evidence,” the demon says, half-incredulous, “how interesting.”
The fight in his eyes has not dimmed, however, and the demon’s eyes almost seem to glow as he challenges, “but are you capable of it?”
“I have a powerful friend.”
This time, he is less sure. He does not know how Li Bing would take the news, if he would believe their country's officials capable of such crimes against their own.
“You're annoying. Your friend can't be any better than you.”
Qiu Qingzhi nearly stabs the demon again. Instead he settles for ripping the arrow out of his chest, relishing in the sharp yowl of pain. Insults slung at him, he could take. But Li Bing was off-limits.
“Insult him again and I'll pluck out all your teeth,” he snarls, watching as the demon flinches and finally shuts up.
—
It must be a nightmare, surely.
He had only returned for barely a week, barely settled into his new position as General Qiu before a signal flare lit up the sky above the Li residence, setting the otherwise dark night ablaze– a new invention, they had told him– a call for help.
(How could something that looked so pretty be a signal for danger?)
Qiu Qingzhi’s heart pounds in fear, blood rushing to his ears as he acts on autopilot, barking out orders to set off for the Court of Judicial Review immediately.
He needs to know that Li Bing is okay. Li Bing has to be okay. He has to be.
Qiu Qingzhi has no reason left to live, if Li Bing is not around anymore. He would gladly set fire to this country, raze it to the ground, or better yet– he would set Yi Zhi Hua free and watch as the demon wrecks havoc on Yong’an Pavilion.
(Except– he knows that he would not. Not really, not when this was the city that Mr. Li and Li Bing loved so much).
The estate is too quiet.
His hand trembles as he pushes the gates open– to see a scene out of his nightmares, the entire Li estate guards and servants alike slaughtered in the courtyard, blood soaking into the ground beneath their bodies, and Li Bing– glaring at him with equal parts despair and contempt.
Li Bing, who is still alive but near unrecognisable in his grief. Whose hair had turned as white as the snow that dusted his shoulders, his eyes swollen from crying, his father's blood staining his robes.
It is a sight that Qiu Qingzhi cannot bear to watch any longer, and he turns away.
(Coward, a voice that sounds too much like the damned monster mocks him, weakling).
He drinks himself into oblivion in the relative safety of his new quarters, burning with the need to hunt down those who had put such an expression on Li Bing’s face, to annihilate those who dared to touch his childhood home.
#yi zhihua enjoyers he does not get treated well in this one I apologise#pre-canon#may have taken some liberties with what went on#white cat legend#qiubing#rose writes#i swear im normal about them
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Qiubing Chinese Fic Recs: What if rewrites
Sharing some more Qiubing fic recs from Lofter! Remember, these fics are written in Chinese, and so if you want to read them, you'll have to suffer some terrible MTL (or be able to read Chinese). Note: I’ve found that Safari’s built in translation seems to fare better than Google, as the names are least translated properly. I haven’t played around with other translators.
This round is focused on some of the (many) 'what if?' themed rewrites, which I'm currently obsessed with (in case you missed my first rec). Most of these involve rebirth / time-travel / consciousness returning to a previous part of the timeline. (Reborn here means to have been reborn into an earlier time.)
Note: Lofter is similar to Tumblr, and authors post chapters in individual blog posts. To find later chapters of the same work, just navigate to the author's page and search through blog titles with the same title (usually they'll number it somehow). Also, these titles tend to be more descriptive like a prompt rather than function like AO3 poetic titles.
Disclaimer: Crappy title translations and rough synopsis are mine... don't judge too hard 🤣). These synopsis notes are more for me to remember what the story is about... Also, my criteria for good Chinese fics is simply not being too OOC, and NO easter egg BS (i.e. the author basically tries to make money off of their fic by hiding majority of the story behind a paywall). My Chinese is too crappy to pick out good prose vs. bad prose haha.
Title TL: Sickly kitty, acting mode is on (WIP)
(AKA: What if Li Bing had returned to Shendu after those three years still sickly and with white hair, if he never entered Dalisi, but knew a lot of things?)
Synopsis notes: Mostly a canon rewrite, but with a LB who has white hair and prone to illness. LB still ends up involved in all the cases, but there's slightly less animosity between our favorite pair and more of QQZ trying to look after LB.
Title TL: Reborn before any tragedy occurs; this time we must have satisfaction (WIP)
(AKA: What if Li Bing's consciousness returns to a time when no tragedy had yet occurred?)
Synopsis notes: LB returns back to before their country started the war, before his father died, and before he parted with QQZ. He implores his father and QQZ to investigate the suspicious nature of the war, and thus they embark on more investigations. Features a stubborn LB, protective but indulgent QQZ, LB crossdressing as a woman because Wang Qi isn't there, redeemed Chen Jiu...
Title TL: What if after General Qiu died, Li Bing was reborn? (COMPLETE)
(AKA: What if LB returns to when he first took up his post as the Vice Minister of Dalisi?)
Synopsis notes: LB returns to when he first returned to Shendu and took on the Vice Minister post. Features a calm and shameless tease LB and a QQZ trying his best to remain unaffected and maintain a charade. LB keeps sneaking into QQZ's room in the middle of the night...
Title TL: If you eat (my) Li family's bing (cake), then you become my (Li Bing's) person (WIP)
(AKA: What if QQZ's consciousness returns to when he first met LB?)
Synopsis notes: QQZ returns to when he first met LB and tries to cue him into the conspiracy earlier and prevent all tragedies from happening. Features QQZ centric POV, which is a fresh take! Of course, doting and indulgent QQZ as always...
Title TL: A reborn Li Bing will definitely force Qiu Qingzhi to spill the beans (COMPLETE)
(AKA: What if LB was reborn to three years prior as QQZ returns from war and manages to force him to speak the truth instead of avoiding him?)
Synopsis notes: LB returns to when QQZ just returned from war and stubbornly refuses to let the guy ghost him. Featuring an alive and doting papa Li, sickly and fragile LB (no cat form), doting / protective / occasionally teasing QQZ, Yi Zhihua becoming bffs with LB (much to QQZ's chagrin), and everyone is happy.
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