Chapter Text
Crystaliqueeen's Danmei Realm Presents:
YOU BE THE ANCHOR THAT KEEPS MY FEET ON THE GROUND
Shang Qinghua has done a lot of shitty things in his life, but this exhausts the line of his carelessness when he accidentally pressed the "Return Home" button presented on the silver platter by the system. The other careless mistake he's made so far? It was accidentally pulling Mobei-jun with him into this real fucking world! Or was it even his fault?
CHAPTER 2: WHO IS SHANG QINGHUA?
His life resets to normal even if he doesn't want it to— as expected.
"Qinghua, the packages!" He hears his boss shout those words, and he sighs heavily before carrying the heavy boxes of packed soaps into the cart. He almost trips but stops himself immediately and tries to breathe to gain more energy.
It's been a month since he came back to this world.
Only he and his laptop know how he screams and kicks the air every night for the system to show itself and offer him an option to transmigrate back into his novel. If he were to be honest, he genuinely wants to go back. It’s not because of the cool flying swords or the fact that his existence makes sense in that world, but simply because he wants to see— holy shit, get a fucking grip!
Unfortunately, the system no longer exists in this world. It doesn’t pester his mind for survival purposes anymore and as much as he appreciates the peace, it also makes him crazy. It is exactly as it says, it's final, and he can't turn back time to get to where he should— wants— to be. Okay, first, fuck you, system, for showing me the option when I'm drunk! That's fucking unfair! You planned this! I swear, if you planned this, I'm going to wrestle you!
After seeing the full cart, Shang Qinghua starts pulling it out of the warehouse towards the truck waiting outside. He's silently cursing the system and himself for all the shits that he's experiencing.
It goes without saying. After he got discharged from the hospital and healed a little, he came back to the university. He's actually a fourth-year finance management student who relies on his web novel's subscription for his tuition fee. Aside from being a student, he's also a part-time factory worker where he'd pack, carry, and transport soaps and such. Okay, okay. That's familiar, isn't it?
In PIDW, Shang Qinghua (yep, he literally self-inserted his real name, yes, thank you very much) experienced heavy and stressful tasks when he's in An Ding Peak. It's actually based on his experience here in the factory, and it's very indulging to write and rant about how crappy the loads are. Shang Qinghua’s life in his novel is basically just him keyboard smashing his rants about how tiring and stressful his real life job is! If he knew that he'd transmigrate into his web novel counterpart, he would've made An Ding Peak the most relaxing peak! Okay, that's another thing to blame himself for.
That being said, Shang Qinghua arrives in his apartment with an exhausted body and aching heart.
It's been a month, but he can't move on from his carelessness yet. It's normal, isn't it? He lived an entire lifetime in that novel; of course, it will be hard to suddenly just say, "sike, yeah, I already moved on, kiss my ass!" and forget whatever he'd been through in that world. Forgive and forget? He can forgive the sexy person who beats his ass three times a day but there’s no way in hell that he’d forget him.
Shang Qinghua's eyes are half-lidded in exhaustion, and he wants to write a 10 thousand-word porn on his laptop tonight because he deserves that. Writers need an outlet to relax, and porn without plot is the key to that relaxation.
When he opens the door, he gasps as he feels a familiar cold sensation inside. It feels so long since he last felt that. His apartment feels extra colder, and he can feel his heart drop (yes, seriously) on the floor. He doesn't have an air conditioner so what the heck!? And that— that kind of coldness— there’s only one person who can make him shiver like that.
Shang Qinghua's mind is in chaos as he dramatically drops his bag on the couch and not on the floor because there are important things that shouldn't spill from there. He immediately runs towards his room, where the temperature is a lot colder, and when he opens his door, his knees weaken inevitably.
What in the name of healthy tiddies is this?
Mobei-jun is lying on his bed, bleeding.
"Holy shit," he whispered to himself before mindlessly running towards where Mobei-jun is. It's a kind of reflex, and he immediately checks his king's condition to check what the heck is happening, "My king, my king, holy shit— how did you get here!? What the heck, why are you bleeding? Wait, my king, please, please hold on, I'll— I'll suck you—no, I mean, I mean I’ll manhandle you— shit, I mean, I'll find something to stop your bleeding. Hang in there, my king."
Mobei-jun didn't say anything, but he lowly growled in pain.
Shang Qinghua runs to get a basin of cold water and a clean towel. He has some pain reliever medicine due to his recent injury but doesn't have any first aid kit in his house. His salary is barely enough for a month-long supply of noodles, and he knows first aid kits aren't that necessary for him, so he chooses the noodles and doesn't invest in health-related products!
Now, it's backfiring on him.
He's panicking. Really panicking. But he can postpone his panic and stop the bleeding for now. When Mobei-jun gets better, he'd talk to him and ask him how he was able to defy the laws of danmei novels with system tags to get transported here. That's just so OP and badass; I'm so proud of you, my king.
Shang Qinghua pulls a chair and sits beside his bed. His bed isn't that small, but it looks inadequate with Mobei-jun lying on it. Shang Qinghua immediately puts a cold towel on Mobei's forehead. Mobei-jun prefers that— he knows it by heart. After that, he checks the wound on Mobei-jun's side. It's bleeding profusely but it’s not showing any signs of being healed through his demonic prowess.
Shang Qinghua's face falls.
It's not healing by itself at all.
Mobei-jun... Mobei-jun is powerless in this world.
"Fuck!" He immediately gets his phone to contact an ambulance. With all his surface-level knowledge about stopping blood (he used this in writing for the wives of Lou Binghe after stabbing each other), he waits and paces around the room while almost pulling his hair.
As he waits for an ambulance, he looks back at the unconscious Mobei-jun. As usual, he looks extremely handsome, too handsome to even exist in this world. He's also wearing his elegant blue robe as the king of the Northern Kingdom, although the clothes on part of the stomach are torn open with a huge bleeding wound.
Aside from that, Mobei-jun looks pale. For the first time, he looks pale due to the blood loss.
Shang Qinghua did his best to not fall weak. He needs to be strong for his king. If Mobei-jun were to die here in his apartment, he won't ever forgive himself. His king deserves to die in a more extravagant place, definitely not his apartment, but that’s not the point. He won’t let Mobei-jun die. He walks back to where the man is and gently holds the man's hand. He doesn't know how he'll help since his cultivation is useless in this world, or how he'll show he's there, but he wants to be there for Mobei-jun.
It's the least he can do after suddenly dying in another world and leaving his king without bidding his farewell at all.
Thankfully, the ambulance arrives a moment later.
Mobei-jun was unconscious for three days straight.
After paying the medical bills (rest in peace to his savings) and giving an absolute statement that he didn't assault Mobei-jun, which ended up with him bleeding like that, Shang Qinghua steps into the man's room. It's almost midnight. The operation three days ago was a success, and the doctor even told him how this particularly handsome patient has the anatomy of a god—not entirely because of his muscular abdomen and sexy chest, no—but because his body can miraculously withstand such blood loss.
For the past few days, he would go on with his life: university and factory work before directly going to the hospital to stay and watch over his king. He's extremely exhausted today. He wasn't able to sleep properly for the past days as his anxiety for his king's well-being is too much, and right now, he had an overtime in his job to make sure he'll be able to temporarily provide for them.
He put the food and fruits that he bought for Mobei-jun on the side table before letting himself slump on the chair beside the man's bed.
It's odd to see medical apparatuses on Mobei-jun's body, but as long as it will help his health, he has no complaints.
He watches Mobei-jun's peacefully sleeping face, and Shang Qinghua can't stop the warm feeling embracing him. He's not dreaming. His king is really here, face to face, in this world. He still doesn't know how that happened, but he's glad to see the man again.
With a huff, Shang Qinghua moves the chair closer to Mobei-jun's bed and holds the man's hand again. His huge hand is icy cold and pale. Shang Qinghua feels guilty for some reason.
He leans forward and lets his head rest on the space of the bed beside Mobei-jun's hand, not letting the man go. Drowsiness overwhelms him, and he finally falls asleep.
Shang Qinghua is awakened shortly when a nurse injects anesthesia into Mobei and pain reliever medicines. He falls asleep again after that, and as the morning comes, his sleepy and still-tired-as-hell brain meets Mobei-jun's dangerous gaze directed at him.
He shrieks, wide awake, and almost jumps away from Mobei-jun's bed. He realizes that he's snuggling the man’s arm like a pillow, and he's a bit scared that he drooled on it! Okay, that's so shameless. He definitely should do that again sometime.
"My king!" Shang Qinghua exclaims. That's a bit inappropriate in this modern context, but he doesn't fucking care! "You're awake."
Yes, no shit Sherlock.
Mobei-jun doesn't move from where he is laying, and the man is looking at him with those cold and dangerous eyes. Shang Qinghua felt his breath stuck inside his throat, and he was unable to speak. Mobei-jun is staring at him with utmost unfamiliarity. His gaze is blank and emotionless.
"You're— uh, haha, I'm glad you're awake. You've been unconscious for three days, and you haven't eaten anything yet. The doctors informed me last night that your body will heal in a few days but you have to stay here for a week just to monitor your wounds if they open up or something." Shang Qinghua rumbles. Even his usage of words is different from what he uses in the PIDW universe. Right now, he can be more like himself. No more third person's point of view in his dialogue, yes, go fuck yourself, system. Mobei-jun's face remains impassive, "I... I wonder how you got in here. What happened, my King? Who hurt you? Was it the Western Arachnid Demon Clan? I knew it! I've prepared some reports about their weakness in my chamber, but it sucks how my assistants don't seem to see it. My king, does it still hurt? I have prepared food for you to regain your energy; by then, you can finally stand up and—"
"Where am I?" The deep, baritone voice asks, and instantly, Shang Qinghua feels horny in the morning. He slaps himself internally. Horny begone!
"You're, uhm, you're..." How will he explain a hospital to someone whose self-regeneration healing doesn't even need a doctor!? "... you're... you're in here."
Instantly, an even deadlier glare is thrown in his direction.
Shang Qinghua wants to cry and kneel for forgiveness, but he realizes that they're now in this real world. If Mobei-jun were to kill him, he'd be imprisoned. A prison cell doesn’t suit his king so it will be easier to convince the man to not kill him through the power of the law!
"My king, please, don't make me explain it to you right now. It's— it's hard for me to explain it— but I will explain it eventually, just— just not now. Though, I must ask you. Do you remember how you got in here?" Shang Qinghua asked, "Do you remember what happened for you to get in here?"
"I can't use my power." Mobei-jun ignores him, and Shang Qinghua nods in understanding.
"Ah, yes, I— I think I can explain that as well when I form a proper explanation for whatever is happening. You have to stay there, my king, and get better. That's our priority right now. You must get better so we can— we can deal with this together. However, I really, really need your answer. What happened to you and how did you... end up in this place?" In this world.
Mobei-jun looks at him as if he's someone who can't be trusted.
"My king, please—"
"Who are you?"
Shang Qinghua feels his chest deflate with that question. He knows the face that he's using now is the same face he gave to his character Shang Qinghua. Why would Mobei-jun suddenly ask that? Is he really uglier in real life than in the novel? He feels his ego and self-respect torn, crushed, and shattered into pieces.
With a shaky breath, he whispers, "This is me, my king. Shang Qinghua."
Mobei-jun's facial expression remains cold and emotionless.
"I— I don't know if my face is really different right now, but you can trust me. It's me! Here, look, see? Believe me, it's me, your advisor! Look, look in my eyes, I'm not lying. I'm—"
Shang Qinghua thought that Mobei-jun not recognizing his face is disheartening until he hears the next words from his king's lips.
"Who is Shang Qinghua?"
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