Twice the love and twice the pain

I will protect you my dear prince

As he looked at the sleeping child on the bed he couldn't help but feel a flurry of anxiety.

How the heck would he be able to take care of a child? Much less a traumatized 5 year old!?

Shen Qingqiu sighed as he questioned his decisions to himself. He rubbed his temples as he recounted the day he had.

"Shizun! Come help!" A disciple exclaimed as he ran towards him. Shen Qingqiu frowned.

"What's the problem??" He asked. The disciple, out of breath, replied. "We found an injured child in the bamboo forest! He was wounded, bloody and possibly deranged! So we called Mu Shixiong to help! And he told us to call you! Please help us Shizun!! The child looks so pitiful!" The disciple exclaimed worriedly.

"Where is the child?" He asked. "In the dorms!" He replied.

Shen Qingqiu wasted no time and ran towards the dorms.

Once he got there he saw a disheveled child lying on the bed. His messy black hair strewn across the pillows. He was wearing white robes and his hands and feet were both bandaged.

Mu Qingfang, who was looking at the child with worry, looked at the immortal peak master sadly.

"Shidi, what happened to him?" He asked. "It seems as if he was attacked by a monster or possibly abused.

He has bruises and scars all over his body. Poor little thing was starving, half deranged and dead when your disciples found him." He replied.

Shen Qingqiu was shocked that a child could handle that much pain alone.

"Shidi and how old is this child exactly?" He asked.

Mu Qingfang looked at him and replied. "Five .." Shen Qingqiu was baffled. That poor child! All alone and hurt!

"How long was he in that state?" He asked the healer.

"It seems he was like this for about a week. When your disciples saw him he collapsed from sheer pain and exhaustion." He said.

Shen Qingqiu winced. "Why did you call me here then?" He asked.

"Well you are the only one on this peak who is married and can take care of children quite well so...

why don't you adopt him? Since this child has no records at all and we can't find nor locate his family." Mu Qingfang replied.

"I'm sorry what??" He answered. Mu Qingfang sighed.

"Well you have been married for a few months and I overheard your husband saying he wants children... so this is the best opportunity for you two." He replied.

Shen Qingqiu gripped his fan tightly.
'What?! Binghe! This is all your fault for talking about wanting children with me even if you know damn well we're both males!'
He cursed.

"But aren't there any other options?" He asked hopefully.

The doctor shook his head in response. Shen Qingqiu covered his face with his fan to hide the look of worry on his face.

"Fine..." He answered defeatedly.

Mu Qingfang sighed in relief. "Good, I'll inform Zhangmen-Shixiong (I forgot if this is the right term)

that you decided to keep him so I'll be on my way." He said before leaving.

Shen Qingqiu looked at the wounded child on the bed.

He didn't know how to take care of a child- much less raise him! He was a teacher not a parent!

He sighed and patted the boy's head.
'He has soft hair..' he thought as he ran his hand through his dark locks that turned chestnut brown as the light hit his youthful face.