MQF takes SJ’s pulse again. It’s still weak, but already slightly (just a little) stronger than just moments before.

MQF grasps SJ’s hand again. SJ’s hand was now warm.

There is a niggling suspicion in MQF’s mind.

He doesn’t let go of SJ.

MQF: what limits are those?

SJ scowls and remains silent. He knows what the pack already thinks of him. No reason to let them look down on him even more for his weak cultivation.

MQF presses the back of his hand to SJ’s forehead. It wasn’t clammy anymore.

(SJ is answering honestly because he doesn’t know where MQF’s mind is going. SJ thinks his body just has many fucked up quirks. Yes, he *knows* what happens to rejected mortal omegas (‘they waste away and die, duh?’) but he’s an immortal who barely lives like an omega 🤷‍♀️ (no nest, no heat, no scent))

SJ looks around warily, bc he hadn’t forgotten how they were considering disinviting him from such an important pack activity over not eating his food.

SJ: Yes. Well no. Not often. But on occasion.

MQF: How infrequently does this happen?

SJ: only when I forget my limits 🙄

SJ: Mu Shidi is overreacting. This Shixiong is fine. It’s an old ailment. Nothing to be concerned about.

(SJ dabs at his lips with his sleeve. His mouth tastes foul. He HATES it.)

MQF: An old ailment? You mean this happens often??

(MQF is starting to smell more worried now)

he withdraws the needle and stares

(Not poison then)

MQF isn’t wearing scent blockers because he wasn’t expecting to treat anyone over dinner, so the entire pack could smell his confusion and worry

MQF: Shen Shixiong, how long have you been feeling poorly? When did this begin?

(Fun fact, in traditional Chinese medicine, TCM doctors diagnose patients by recognising the rhythm of their pulse and using it to identify the body’s internal deficiencies)

MQF heats up a silver needle with his Qi (sterilised!) and sticks it at a point above SJ’s collar bone

MQF is confused and worried. It doesn’t seem like SQQ was poisoned, but immortal cultivators do not just puke out their dinners for no reason. (They don’t get GERD or stomach flu 🤷‍♀️). Neither do they break out into cold sweat. Or have weak, thready pulses. Or have cold hands.

MQF frowns

He grabs SJ’s other wrist and takes his pulse. He frowns.

Places a hand on SJ’s forehead. He frowns again.

He grasps SJ’s hands and his brows furrow deeply.

He asks to see SJ’s tongue (and SJ was feeling too humiliated and ill to refuse his alpha, ok??) and SJ obediently does so.

MQF does not ask. He grabs SJ’s wrist and takes his pulse. SJ tries to pull his wrist out of MQF’s grasp but he isn’t strong enough to break that firm grip (there’s a rule in this a/b/o au that omega cultivators can’t be physically stronger than THEIR pack betas or alphas 🥲)

YQY stands up, “Mu Shidi!”

MQF, who had already pole-vaulted over the long table unprompted (see pic for reference) hurries over to SJ with a needle in his hand.

SJ’s ears are burning with humiliation as he searches his sleeves for cloth to clean up the mess in front of him

LBH: (who is a good boy) SHIZUN?? SHIZUN? SOMEBODY HELP SHIZUN HAS BEEN POISONED

one of the alphas, maybe LQG yells “Shen Qingqiu!” and SJ almost face plants into the table at the force of that call. his hands fly to his face as he tries and fails to hide the mess he made.

he polishes each plate clean and feels progressively worse 🫠

SJ doesn’t even get through 7 out of the 10 dishes when the nausea finally overwhelms him and he begins violently vomiting all of his dinner onto poor LBH (who was pushed to server duty on CNY eve by his shixiongs 😓)

all this was said in earshot so omega SJ was internally panicking a bit at the thought of being disinvited from an important pack activity

he forces himself to chew. and swallow. each mouthful feels greasy & uncomfortable. he ignores the growing cramping + steadily rising nausea