Chapter Text
Life was… rough again. Horribly rough again. It generally seemed to happen from all the stress he was under, but he couldn't help how horrible it felt every time. His chest was heavy with the weight of the world, yet he simply laid in the bed he had at the Northern Desert.
He passively shivered, curling up a bit into himself. The movement was painfully slow, as noticeable as an exhale. He needed to work, the idea kept looping in his mind, yet he didn't move from his spot in bed.
The world was horrible. Especially to someone like him.
System annoyingly popped up in front of him.
How are you feeling, User [AIRPLANE]?
It took him a while before he quietly answered, "I'm the same as I always am." As low as he always gets. His half-closed eyes weakly glanced at what System typed out:
Food can help.
After no response, System continued:
The An Ding merchants have roasted melon seeds today!
His stomach turned at the idea. He was barely able to eat the previous day, and even the savory snack felt impossible. Shang Qinghua tiredly breathed, "I don't know. I think… I'll just be here for a while." He muttered, "Wait for it to go away."
User [AIRPLANE].
A tighter breath went through his body, tears springing into his eyes. He didn't need to be fucking lectured again. Everything he did was wrong, and he couldn't help that anymore. His paperwork was getting sloppy, he was showing up disheveled to meetings, his original story of Proud Immortal Demon Way was worthless slop created as a cash grab.
He weakly sobbed into himself, keeping his shaking cries silent from the rest of the world. After managing to catch his breath, he didn't bother to look at System's panel. "Please go. I- I don't want to be seen right now."
With every bit of his energy, he turned around in the bed, facing a wall instead. Shit, he was probably a horrible person. System didn't have many people to talk to, and the control panel seemed to get so excited to see his relationships progressing- even giving a spew of emojis just to receive the nickname Bingzu.
But Shang Qinghua wasn't one for consistency. His story and work ethic proved that. He mentally apologized to his digital friend, even if the creature had been automatically dehumanized once again in his mind.
Whatever, he really shouldn't have gotten that attached to an AI program anyway.
Once he managed to take a small peek behind him, he saw the lack of a blue glow. So he settled back into his original position- desperately trying not to cry as he looped their conversation in his mind.
(But he did cry. He cried until he couldn't anymore. And to make it worse, he still felt just as horrible as before, only with a face that ached against his slightly wet pillow.)