Shen Qingqiu swallows as Binghe's expression changes, hardens. Maybe this had been a bad move after all. He takes his hand back, tucking it and the other protectively into his sleeves.

"It's the explanation I was provided," he says, "when I—woke up as Shen Qingqiu. Zhangmen-shixiog and Mu-shidi told me I had qi deviated, gave it as explanation for the changes in behavior, in personality. I said nothing to them—first because I couldn't, and then because—" he shakes his head. He can't explain things like plot to Luo Bingge—it skirts too close to concepts of authorship, of being written, of being puppeted by some unseen force, and he has no idea how he would react to that other than it being very, very bad. "They had never been here, it's not like they could understand moving between worlds. Realms, yes, the human and the demon, but not entire worlds. So then I repeated that explanation, here, because I had only just arrived, and I didn't think you would understand, either."

He licks his lips. "Besides, if you thought I wasn't Shen Qingqiu at all—" he stops, feeling foolish.