Title: Sharpen Up
Fandom: Guardian
Rating: G-rated
Length: 1150 words
Notes: Chu Shuzhi & Guo Changcheng, set during episode 6 after the mirror girl case; discussion of discrimination; mentor relationship. No archive warnings. ETA: Thanks to trobadora for beta!
Summary: “I don’t understand.” Changcheng tried not to sound as aggrieved as he felt. Why was everyone being so cryptic about this case?


“Chu-ge, can I ask you a question?” Changcheng clutched his notebook in both hands, flexing its leather cover nervously.

Chu-ge was sitting at his desk, drinking a mug of soup and surfing the internet like he did most evenings while he waited for their shift to end. Somehow he managed to make both activities look tough and intimidating. He barely glanced up from the screen. “That depends. What is it?”

Everyone but Wang Zheng had gone home, but Changcheng stepped closer and lowered his voice anyway, just in case. “Why is Zhu Hong angry at Ji Xiaobai? She didn’t even meet him or Zhou Weiwei.”

“What part don’t you understand?” Chu-ge wasn’t really paying attention—which was good! It was more comfortable not to be the focus of his glare. But Changcheng squirmed, the notebook in his hands seeming to taunt him.

It was all very well for Chief Zhao to say it would become clear when Changcheng was older, but his work required him to interview and comfort people now. And the whole point of keeping a record of the SID’s cases was to learn, so he could be a better field agent. “Any of it.”

Chu-ge paused mid-scroll and looked up. “Report to me the facts of the case.”

Changcheng took a deep breath. He could do that—he’d been there! But it felt like a test he was destined to fail. “Ji-ge’s fiancée was dragged into the mirror dimension by a Dixingren who looked just like her. When he went in to rescue her, the Dixingren threatened to blow us all up.” He remembered that part vividly: the violent swell of power, and its abrupt cessation when the Black-Cloaked Envoy arrived. “Lord Black-Cloaked Envoy took the Dixingren away, but Ji-ge and Zhou Weiwei broke up anyway.”

“Ah.”

“I don’t understand.” Changcheng tried not to sound as aggrieved as he felt. Why was everyone being so cryptic about this?

Chu-ge sighed and turned to face him. “What’s so complicated? They broke up because that Zhou Weiwei wasn’t his fiancée.”

“But that means—” Changcheng frowned. “Lord Black-Cloaked Envoy wouldn’t have taken away a human by mistake.” If he had, the SID would be in an uproar. But the only other explanation was that Ji-ge’s fiancée was the Dixingren, that she’d been an imposter from the start. That Changcheng had got it all backwards.

Chu-ge raised his eyebrows, waiting.

“Is Zhu Hong cross because—” because Ji-ge was in love with a Dixingren? He stopped himself just in time. That made no sense. The SID didn’t hate people just for being Dixingren, or for loving them. Everyone respected Chu-ge. “—because he chose wrong, in the mirror dimension?”

The other Weiwei had called her a monster, and Ji-ge hadn’t contradicted her. He’d let the Black-Cloaked Envoy take her away. “Oh.”

“You get it now? Good.” Chu-ge swivelled back to his computer and put his hand on his mouse, but he didn’t scroll. His shoulders looked even more tense than usual.

“Chu-ge.” It came out hoarse, almost a whisper. “Did—did anyone ever call you a monster?”

A muscle moved in his jaw, but he didn’t answer.

“If anyone tried to take you away—even if it was Lord Black-Cloaked Envoy—” Changcheng’s courage faltered. Chu-ge wouldn’t want him to argue with the Black-Cloaked Envoy, even if Changcheng could summon the nerve! But he had to say what was in his heart. “That would be wrong. I wouldn’t let them.”

For once, Chu-ge didn’t admonish him to show more respect. “Far more likely someone at the Xingdu Bureau decides to stipulate that only humans can work at the SID.”

Changcheng felt a jolt of alarm. Chu-ge had said it in an off-hand way, but it was obviously not a vague hypothetical. He believed it could happen. That he could be fired. That Hong-jie and even Deputy Chief might face mistreatment for not being human. That the Xingdu Bureau could be so unfair.

“I’d protest,” said Changcheng. “Chief Zhao—we all would!”

“Maybe.” Chu-ge still wasn’t looking at him. “But why would the Xingdu Bureau care? They’d just sack the lot of you and replace you with someone more compliant. Better to save yourselves.”

Wherever creatures live in groups, there will always be hierarchy, and that is why there will always be killing and oppression. That’s what Chu-ge had said in Ji Xiaobai’s bathroom. He knew so much of the world. He’d seen so much darkness. Changcheng was naïve to believe anything he could do would make a difference.

“I’d wish on a magpie’s song,” he said, defiantly. It had worked for Ji Xiaobai, sort of. Even if it might have brought back the wrong Zhou Weiwei.

At least it made Chu-ge smile. “Ha!”

But it was a child’s answer. The only way Changcheng could be sure to help was to sharpen up—both his understanding and his fighting, too. He had to become fearsome like Chu-ge and Hong-jie, respected like Chief Zhao. And he couldn’t. He wasn’t cut out for it.

Chu-ge was watching him now, his expression soft for once. “Xiao-Guo, I know you’ll do whatever you can. If that’s not enough—it’s okay.”

Changcheng frowned, mulish determination rising up in him.

“I mean it,” said Chu-ge. “I’d rather your heart stayed pure and hopeful than becoming like—” He broke off.

“Like Ji Xiaobai’s?”

“Yeah. Like his.” Chu-ge looked almost fond. “Don’t be like him.”

Was that a compliment? Changcheng didn’t want to ruin it by asking, so he tucked it away in his thoughts to examine later and nodded. His phone alarm buzzed, and he scrambled to turn it off, but by the time he had, the moment had passed. He swallowed. “Our shift’s up. Shall I walk you home?”

Chu-ge let out a crack of laughter. “I can take care of myself, you know.”

Changcheng ducked his head, feeling stupid and ashamed. Of course! It was presumptuous to suggest it—especially to his own mentor! Now he knew the truth of Ji Xiaobai’s decision, the world seemed darker and more treacherous, but it hadn’t changed for Chu-ge. He always saw things as they were.

Chu-ge locked his computer screen and stood up. “I’ll walk you as far as the post office.”

“Oh! Yes.” Changcheng nodded eagerly, then realised something was missing. “I left my bag on the mezzanine. Wait here. I’ll be quick.” He raced off to get it before Chu-ge could change his mind and leave without him.

On his way up the stairs, he thought that somehow, as unlikely as it seemed, Chief Zhao had got things a little wrong. It wasn’t getting older that made it easier to understand; it was the opposite. Learning the truth about the world, understanding people’s hearts, with all their beauty, cruelty and fear—in the end, that was what made one a grown-up. It was a painful journey, but it would make him more useful to the SID and his friends. Because of that, he couldn’t let himself regret it.


END