It does indeed land like a joke; Shen Yuan snorts and nearly spills his tea. He quickly tries to calm himself and pay attention to what He Xuan's saying, but -- honestly the objections he's raising barely register at such, in Shen Yuan's opinion!
"What about me makes you think I care about things like whether they're 'living' or 'mortal?'" he asks, amused. "Cultivators are supposed to advance to immortality, does that disqualify them from r-romance?" Despite his best attempt at keeping his cool, he stumbles slightly over saying the word out loud. Blushing and trying to pretend he's not, he continues, "I switched places with another version of myself in January, and he was married to a half-yaogai who was also their world's emperor. Does that make him a loser? I don't think he'd agree with that."
He sips his tea again, weighing his words his mind. Does he really have the face to say what he wants to say out loud? Well, maybe just a part of it. He tries, "He Xuan is very h-handsome, and considerate towards people who show consideration to him. He's been kind to me, and giving with his time and skills. Why, um, why wouldn't I want to be close to someone like that...?" Oh god, his face is so hot right now, and he can't even pretend it's the sunlight! Shen Yuan quickly gets up from the table to search his cupboards aimlessly, just for an excuse not to make eye contact until he's calmed down. Eventually he comes back with a little packet of miniature cakes, which he opens and gently pushes towards He Xuan's side of the table. "Here, help yourself," he says awkwardly.
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"What about me makes you think I care about things like whether they're 'living' or 'mortal?'" he asks, amused. "Cultivators are supposed to advance to immortality, does that disqualify them from r-romance?" Despite his best attempt at keeping his cool, he stumbles slightly over saying the word out loud. Blushing and trying to pretend he's not, he continues, "I switched places with another version of myself in January, and he was married to a half-yaogai who was also their world's emperor. Does that make him a loser? I don't think he'd agree with that."
He sips his tea again, weighing his words his mind. Does he really have the face to say what he wants to say out loud? Well, maybe just a part of it. He tries, "He Xuan is very h-handsome, and considerate towards people who show consideration to him. He's been kind to me, and giving with his time and skills. Why, um, why wouldn't I want to be close to someone like that...?" Oh god, his face is so hot right now, and he can't even pretend it's the sunlight! Shen Yuan quickly gets up from the table to search his cupboards aimlessly, just for an excuse not to make eye contact until he's calmed down. Eventually he comes back with a little packet of miniature cakes, which he opens and gently pushes towards He Xuan's side of the table. "Here, help yourself," he says awkwardly.