I desperately need more BingPlane/BingXiang so here's a self-indulgent AU where XF transmigrated as a kid near LBH's village and becomes his best friend! (And perhaps developing a slightly [?] codependent bond—and something more? with his protagonist)
XF wakes up absolutely groggy and out of it- of course, who wouldn't be after he got electrocuted to what he thought would be his final breath??
[ System Activated! Welcome, User 001! ]
…Who wouldn't wake up absolutely groggy and out of it after he got electrocuted to his final breath?!?
Guess he actually fucking died?????????????
So Xiang Fei panics for a bit (a lot) until he realizes the system has been glitching for a while now—talking about an error? on soul misplacement? Before shutting down entirely. Weird!!!
All he got from it is that he's in his stallion novel, PIDW. His Magnum Opus, his cashcow, his absolute demise, his most significant work, and- yeah he thinks those were enough descriptors.
Anyway! It doesn't take long for XF to figure out that he's been transmigrated as… well, an absolute nobody! Not much of a difference from his previous life! Not even an important side character, no! Not even a cannon fodder! He's just in the body of an extra he didn't even bother to name!! Hell, he didn't even know this guy existed in his novel!
From the looks of it, the body he's in is that of a child's—no more than what, 10? Sure, he can roll with that.
So after having a huge existential crisis, XF decides to actually try living out this second chance he has in life.
He finds out that this boy's family includes only an emotionally neglectful (?) father who doesn't even talk to him, save for meal times where he at least gives his son some spare fish he successfully caught during his job as a fisherman. Oh, and the man blames the original goods for his mother's death, apparently.
Thankfully, it doesn't get brought up more than once! Lucky him!
So XF mostly spent his time helping the old man out in the dock and playing hide and seek with the kids in the area. Doesn't really help that the internet is quite literally non-existent, forcing poor Airplane to do actual in real life activities.
So most of XF's days were spent in mundanity.
Then, he meets Binghe. At first, XF thought he was just a random kid in town who was too shy to join playtimes. But upon seeing the dark curls and familiar face, Airplane himself could never mistake his protagonist for anyone else!!! (The system showing up again after months of inactivity also confirmed it, more or less.)
He was so, so small!!! So scrawny too!!! He looks like he's at least 7 years old. Of course, XF couldn't help but try to befriend his tiny protagonist, despite all of tiny LBH's reluctance.
So XF eventually becomes closer to LBH and goes through the good and bad with him.
And despite all of XF's efforts to avoid the tragedy, the washerwoman still died. The system calling it a "necessary plot point". Xiang Fei's guilt only deepens upon witnessing Luo Binghe's behavior towards him after his mother's death. He had gotten clingier, more paranoid, more demanding of his attention.
On days where Xiang Fei was quieter than usual, Binghe would ask, "Are you tired of me, Fei-ge?"
Or when the other kids wanted to play with him, "Fei-ge, you wouldn't choose them over me, would you?"
and even just visiting a nearby town for errands prompted a "Fei-ge, you said you wouldn't leave!", along with tears and reddened cheeks.
Of course, how could Xiang Fei deny Binghe of anything? It was airplane's fault for his grief. It was his fault he had to resort to clinging on the same reason why his mother died in the first place. How horrible would it be of him to deny anything? So he stayed by LBH's side, everytime, without fail.
Fast forward to 9 years later, Binghe is now 16 and Xiang Fei being 19. 2 years after both of them had joined CQMS. XF ending up in An Ding peak and LBH, still on Qing Jing peak, upon the System's insistence on canon compliancy.
Binghe gets more possessive, more clingy, more demanding. Of course, XF tried to not acknowledge this at first. Because why would his stallion protagonist who is supposed to have a harem of women acting this way to him of all people, right? Perhaps guilt had twisted his judgement though.
Because Xiang Fei is now forced to fully confront the truth when Binghe lies atop the corpse of someone who spent a nighthunt with him.
Binghe is covered in blood and Xiang Fei's mind spirals in dread and guilt. Airplane was the one who made Binghe turn out this way. This was all his fault.
So of course, he pulls LBH straight into his arms—blood and all—whispering sweet reassurances;
"Fei-ge will handle this."
"Binghe did nothing wrong."
"Fei-ge is on Binghe's side."
He should accept the demon he's made of Binghe, long before he should've awakened.
This was all Airplane's fault.
This was all Xiang Fei's fault.
