Ooo, what if somehow Binghe gains his own little system sometime before the conference while on a mission, and its goal is helping him "achieve a satisfying and loving relationship" with Shen Qingqiu | Shen Yuan?
Binghe: "System? Can you show me Shizun's current, ah...'stats'?"
System: [Opens a screen with way, waaay too much information. Health Bar, Mental Health Status (which is broken up into smaller units like happiness, stress, and two mysterious categories labeled '???'), hunger/thirst, and Status Conditions (which, at the moment, only contains Without a cure).]
Binghe: @A@ [overwhelmed]
Binghe: [snaps himself out of it] ònó "I will learn quickly. For shizun!"
And Binghe does, but for a long time, nothing he does seems to change anything in the Stat window, even as it tells him things like '+20 happiness point!'.
Then, as the conference looms ever closer, his shizun starts to become quieter, and the system starts jumpscaring Binghe with short, unexplained '-5 happiness points'/'+20 stress points' messages. They're easily fixed with good food and distractions, but no matter how much Binghe looks into the matter, he can't seem to figure out where his Shizun's sudden distress comes from.
(That day, when Shizun asks him if he's willing to do anything to become strong, Binghe's poor heart receives a shock when his answer earns him a delayed '+50 stress points!')
At the edge of the Abyss, even as things go horribly wrong, Binghe's system doesn't shy away for a second. Every few words, it warns him of severe point gains in the stress category; but if he's honest, he's too busy trying to convince his Shizun that he's still good to pay that the attention it deserves.
Later, when he finds a safe place to hide and cry, the system opens itself unprompted.
[System update: New Categories Unlocked!]
It turns out Shizun's stress levels rose drastically in the moments leading up to pushing him into this place. Not only that, his happiness points *tanked.* In fact, they tanked so drastically that it met the conditions nessecary to finally reveal those mysterious '???' categories.
Binghe sobs. The new categories are 'Fear' and 'Heartbreak', and one is already decently high.
Throughout his time in the Abyss, he constantly checks Shizun's status window. It's the only thing he has connecting him to Shizun, yes, and at first that is the only reason he looks at all, but as some time passes, he begins to realize that those stats labeled Hunger and Health are gradually falling into the negative categories. Mental Health is stagnating at an alarming low number as well.
"This one doesn't understand. Shizun threw me in, so why...?"
[Would Host like to unlock Stat Window Plus for a more in-depth experience?]
"'In-depth'...? Would that explain why Shizun is...like this?"
He agrees. Suddenly, Hunger is accompanied by two timers showing how long it has been since Shizun last ate and drank. Health breaks down into sleep, hygiene, and energy. Status Conditions has added a timer, too, tracking the time between flare-ups as well as the percentage of Without a cure's slow conquest of his poor Shizun's body.
It's slightly underwhelming. At the same time, as he looks over the timers and the new subcategories, his mind starts painting an impossible picture.
Shizun isn't eating. Shizun isn't sleeping. His heartbreak points aren't lowering.
Shizun... Was he missing Binghe? The same way Binghe misses him? Did he... maybe regret throwing him away?
The idea sinks in more every day. Gains traction with every hour Shizun neglects himself; for Binghe likes to believe he knows his shizun best, and skipping food and rest was most unlike his dear beloved.
When Binghe breaks free of the Abyss, he resolves to show his dear shizun that he is still good, just like in cannon, but he's less angry. Less heartbroken. Xin Mo has less to grasp onto in his heart, and so when Jin Lan happens, his mind is just clear enough to pay attention when System starts throwing bright red screens in his face informing him of rising fear points.
turnnoffyourmind
baratheonpilled
