System Error: The Red Silks That Drape The Gold

by StarDustOnTheMoon

Summary:

It’s fine, it’s fine, yeah it’s perfectly fine, he can deal with this later, when he’s safe and hopefully on the other side of the country then Luo Binghe.

Notes:

Hi!!!! I hope you all enjoy this part to the System Error series!
I am planning on making this part multiple chapters, I'm thinking five but it may end up being a little more or a little less, we'll see.

I sat my last maths exam like two weeks ago, so you all get an extra long chapter to celebrate 🥳

Oh! Also I actually did a bit of research whilst writing this chapter so if I've used a name wrong or something please do let me know.

Chapter 1

Shang Qinghua sighed contently against the soft coolness of the pillow beneath his cheek, he couldn’t remember the last time he had slept so well. A few more minutes wouldn’t hurt right? He’s sure he can just tell work he got caught up in traffic if he ends up being too late. He snuggles further into the sheets, they feel like silk but he’s just imagining things. He may not know what his bedsheets are made out of, having brought them second hand from that nice old lady that lived two floors down, but they certainly weren’t silk.

 

Qinghua could smell the subtle scent of sandalwood as he breathed in. It was nice to smell something over then the old mildew smell that usually plagued his apartment that’s probably in violation of a bunch of housing laws if he’s being totally honest with himself for once. Had he fallen asleep with incense burning? Had he even lit incense before going to bed? He couldn’t even remember the last time he had incense, maybe when he still lived with his mother. Maybe zhǎng bèi had given it to him? Ah he couldn’t remember, he’s sure it isn’t that important.

 

He couldn’t hear any traffic now that he thought about it, which was strange considering he lived in central Hong Kong. It was the sound of wind chimes tinkling melodically in the gentle wind that finally woke him up. He didn’t own any wind chimes and he most certainly never slept with the window open.

 

Everything quickly came rushing back, the system, the God thing, the mission… Luo Binghe, everything.

 

It’s with that revelation that Shang Qinghua sat up urgently from where he was laid in the unbelievably comfortable bed, the soft red silk sheets pooling around his waist as they slipped off of his shoulders. With panicked eyes Qinghua quickly looked around the room, though his sight was slightly obscured by sheer red curtains that seemed to section off the bed from the rest of the room, he was still able to see the rest of the room clearly enough to assure himself that he was alone. Only relaxing slightly once he confirmed that fact.

 

The bed he was still half tucked in and sat on seemed almost carved into the wall with a singular wooden frame helping corner off the bed from the rest of the room, with only a circle shape that had been carved out allowing access to the rest of the room and to the bed. Sheer red curtains drape down from the frame covering up the circular hole.

 

Shang Qinghua pushed the curtains gently to the side with the back of his left hand as he stepped out of the bed. He couldn’t care less about the red silks of the bed that started to fall off the bed as he moved, being dragged along as they slowly fell off of his body before they sat half off and half on the bed. Qinghua couldn’t find it in himself to care about the messy unmade bed as he stood up.

 

He hissed through his teeth as his bare feet hit the cold wooden floor, “Did he really have to take my shoes” he half whined half muttered to himself.

 

Shang Qinghua looked around the room again, noting an open door that leads out onto a balcony, and there's where he spots the wind chimes he heard previously and can still hear now, he can see them just hanging there out on the balcony, swaying gently in the wind. He elects to ignore the balcony for now.

 

As he turns his eyes away from the window he spots a tea table sat tastefully in the middle of the room. It's only a small table with two red cushions sitting opposite to each other, the table itself seemed to be made of a darker brown wood compared to the oakish coloured floors. There in the middle of the table sat the incense that produced that sandalwood smell he had smelt whilst he was still waking up, by the looks of the incense sticks it had been burning for a while.

 

Opposite the bed and the tea table was a door, it was shut so Shang Qinghua didn’t know what lied beyond said. So like any sane person would, he slowly made his way towards the door (still bare foot as he has not been able to locate his shoes as of yet, though he will admit he hasn’t really been trying all that hard, he blames it on the shock). As he reaches the door he carefully goes to open the door, only to be disappointed when the door doesn’t budge. He guesses that it’s probably locked then and if it’s locken then that means it was probably the exit.

 

He spins back around and walks back over to the tea table, where he spots another door, this one is opposite the, currently being ignored, balcony. He walks over to the other door, going to open it with a little less hesitation and only being mildly surprised when it actually opens.

 

This door ended up leading to an ensuite bathroom, and instead of the oakish looking wooden floors, the bathroom’s floors looked like marble. Right in the middle of the bathroom was a large bathtub the size of the hexagon that was built into the floor, you’d have to step down to get into it. The tub looked like it had been taken right out of some shitty fantasy book, which he guessed was fair given where he was. In the left corner sat the toilet that was shielded from view via wooden panels and opposite the toilet and next to the door sat a basin. The basin was sat on top of what looked like a side table? Or well he supposed it was more accurate to call it a very detailed child block of wood. Like an ancient version of a sink. 

 

As Shang Qinghua looked around the bathroom he noticed a distinct lack of towels, soaps, washcloths or literally anything else that you would normally think you’d find in a bathroom.

 

Qinghua turns and goes back into the bedroom, closing the bathroom door behind him. As he enters the bedroom he notices that just like the bathroom there was a distinct lack of objects that you’d think you would find in a bedroom. There was no wardrobe, no chest of draws, no nothing. There was a bed and a tea table but that was it, well there was the incense as well he supposed but nothing else. 

 

Both rooms kinda reminded him of the ikea showrooms. Maybe Luo Binghe wanted to pretend to be a toxic married couple with him? The thought made him laugh quietly to himself.

 

“System?” he called out into the empty room.

 

[Hello user 001 (｡^‿^｡)]

 

The systems appeared not even a minute later, its blue box popping up right in front of his face, making him jump a bit.

 

“You seem like you’re in an unnaturally good mood” Qinghua say’s sceptically.

 

 [This System was finally able to fix a plot hole that user 001 left （＾ω＾）]

 

“Good for you?” He had long since learnt that asking questions about these plot holes always left him with more questions than answers. “System, what's going on?” Qinghua asks impatiently.

 

[User 001 is now on a new story path!]

 

“And that is…?” Shang Qinghua tries to pry more answers out of the system.

 

[As this System has stated previously user 001 is not permitted to know the outline of the new story path and will informed of any relevant information should it become necessary]

 

Qinghua sighed “great.” 

 

[Would user 001 like to purchase an option guide for 200 points?]

 

Shang Qinghua squinted at the system “ an option guide? For 200 points? That seems a bit much” he says, annoyed.

 

[Yes, would user 001 like to purchase it or not? (O_O)]

 

“...” he was quiet for a moment, thinking it over. “Ok…alright” he finally said, maybe there was something in there that he hadn’t thought of yet.

 

[Great! User 001 options for this current part of the story path is: 

 A. Stay here and wait for someone to arrive

Or 

B. Find a way to leave this room]

“Seriously!” Shang Qinghua whisper shouts, not wanting to attract anyone to him just yet. “200 points for that?!”

 

[User 001 was the one who brought it, this System didn’t make user 001 buy it (◉‿◉)]

 

“Don’t make that face, it’s creepy.” he shudders, the face, for some reason, reminds him of that time he watched Annabel.

 

[(◉‿◉)]

 

“Stop it”

 

[(◉‿◉) (◉‿◉) (◉‿◉)]

 

“Ok ok you’ve made your point” Qinghua says, turning away from the system.

 

So his only two options seem to be either waiting here like a sitting duck for someone, probably Luo Binghe, to come in and then probably order his execution or maybe he’d eat his flesh right there and then it would explain the empty bedroom and bathroom he supposes. The thought caused fear to curl in his belly again, maybe the shock was finally wearing off? His other option was to somehow find a way to leave this room and subsequently wherever Luo Binghe had stashed him and run away and hide from Binghe for the rest of his days and pray that he never finds him.

 

So really his options were death or life on the run, between the two Qinghua thought he’d take his chances on the running.

 

[User 001 should be warned that his choice will affect the current story path! (>_<)]

 

“Yeah, I figured,” Qinghua muttered under his breath.

 

When he turned back around to look at the system, it was gone. He simply huffed and shook his head before turning towards the previously ignored balcony. He’s already figured out that the door, that presumably leads out into the hallway, is locked so going out the balcony seemed like his only option at the moment. 

 

He walks over and out onto the balcony, it seems to look out onto a courtyard. He squints at the courtyard below. Oh? He recognised it, it actually looked remarkably similar to how he wrote it and if this courtyard was here then that must mean he was in Luo Binghe’s palace… he doesn’t know how to feel about that or what to do about the festering fear that’s beginning to make his ears ring. 

 

…

 

It’s fine, it’s fine, yeah it’s perfectly fine, he can deal with this later, when he’s safe and hopefully on the other side of the country then Luo Binghe.

 

He slowly and extremely carefully begins to climb over the balcony railing once he's seen that there's nobody currently in the courtyard. He’s only slightly pissed off that he’s having to do this without any shoes but there's not much he can really do about it right now. 

 

He looks down at the ground apprehensively, it doesn’t look like that big of a drop. He can manage it, surely he can, he’ll be fine, he won’t break any bones or anything, this is perfectly safe. He looks over his shoulder and looks back at the bedroom, maybe it’s better to wait in there for Luo Binghe? He could surprise attack him and then make a run for it down the hallway? No, no, no, he shakes his head, that’s a terrible plan that will end up with me having a broken bone or two.

 

He takes a deep breath in and out as he turns his attention back around to the courtyard below him. Come on Qinghua, you can do this. He takes another deep breath, it’s just one small jump, you’ll be fine.

 

With that thought he lets go of the railing and jumps off of the balcony, making sure to bend his knees as he lands, having learnt the hard way what happens when you don’t, one of the many joys of his childhood.

 

Shang Qinghua had managed to land himself in a bush, and he’s very happy to report that nothing feels broken and so probably nothing is broken. Shang Qinghua grins as he stands up and drags himself out of the bush, his feet hitting the stone pathway. He will admit that this whole no shoes thing is really uncomfortable, back in the real world he was one of those freaks (and still is) that wore socks to bed, even when it was a hundred degrees. So this no shoes, or socks mind you, thing was really throwing him off.

 

Qinghua turned around to face the closet door to him, the one that was right next to the balcony he had just jumped from, only to freeze as he locked eyes with Mobei-Jun.

 

Qinghua blames his lack of shoes as to why he failed to notice him before he jumped.

---

 

(couldn't get the pic to work so heres the link to where i posted them on tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/emotional-otter/787602893766344704/sqh-room-layout-for-system-error?source=share)

Notes:

I hope you all enjoyed that chapter! I'm hoping to get the next one out by the end of July.

As always please leave a kudos and a comment to let me know what you thought <3

I hope you all have a fantastic day or night x

(Also I've never put pictures into ao3 before so if this doesn't work or if anyone knows a better way to do it can you please let me know, thank you x)

Chapter 2

Notes:

HI, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!!! It took me longer then anticpated to write this so I'm so sorry it's a teensy bit late and that you all had to wait so long.

Shang Qinghua stares at Mobei-Jun for a few moments, his thoughts racing at a million miles a minute. Holy fuck, the system truly had no mercy on him, or maybe the heavens didn’t? Do the heavens exist in this world? He never really wrote about it, only made a passing comment that the heavens had forsaken Luo Binghe or some other bullshit reason as to why his life was so shitty. Then again he never wrote about a God that bleeds gold either so maybe they do exist.

Focus, Qinghua, Movie-Jun is right there!

Shang Qinghua flashes Mobei-Jun a sheepish smile as he tucks his hands in his sleeves, he proceeds to bow to Mobei-Jun as he takes a step back, hoping to simply pass himself off as a lost servant. Maybe Binghe didn’t tell Mobei-Jun who he was, or where he was, maybe him being here is simply a strange coincidence?

Qinghua stilled as the back of his legs hit the water fountain that resided in the middle of the small courtyard. He was still watching Mobei-Jun nervously, it was next to impossible to read his expression, in fact he had wrote it so that only two people could, his mother and Luo Binghe.

He tensed as Mobei-Jun took a step towards him. Nope, fuck this shit, he was not risking it. Shang Qinghua quickly spun on his heel and ran through the fountain (which was a bad idea in hind sight) and towards the door on the opposite end of the courtyard.

He burst through the door and ran down the surprisingly empty hallway. He curses at himself for the water he tracks behind him, what good was running away when you’re practically leaving a trail for your pursuer to find you.

He quickly shrugs off his outer robe, not being bound by the ancient ideas of modesty of this world (it helped that he hadn’t really met anyone in this world that wasn’t an active threat to his life). He discarded the wet outer robe on the floor behind him, now only leaving himself in his white inner robe and a pair of old brown cotton pants, that had thankfully indeed up his leg whilst he was unconscious, preventing them from getting wet. It hadn’t occurred to him to pull them back down, after all he had (and still does) much more pressing matters on his mind, he’s thankful it didn’t now.

He abruptly turned around a corner, checking to see if Mobei-Jun was behind him. Once he confirmed that he wasn’t currently in Mobei’s line of sight, he ducked into a random storage closet, leaving the door open ever so slightly so he could watch as Mobei-Jun ran past him.

He sighed as he watched Mobei-Jun run past, leaning against the wall next to the door as he allowed himself a moment to just breathe. He wasn’t sure if Mobei was running after him because he was running away from him or if he was chasing him because he knew who he was. To be honest, he couldn’t find it in himself to care why Mobei-Jun was chasing him, he was simply glad for the moment that he had gotten away.

Momentary break over, he opened the storage closet door and quietly slipped out. He looked around the hallway, and whilst he knows he should know his way around this palace given that he, you know, wrote it, he is only some what ashamed to admit that he has zero fucking clue where he is and where he should go from here.

“System?” He asks hesitantly, making sure to keep quiet.

[Yes, user 001? (｡^‿^｡)]

“I’m lost” Shang Qinghua admits to the System only slightly shamefully.

[Shouldn’t user 001 know where he is given the fact that he wrote everything? (ↁ_ↁ)]

“I’ve written a lot of things, most things in this world in fact, I can’t be expected to remember everything.” He whines pathetically

[This system only hears excuses סּ_סּ]

“Please can you just help me?” Shang Qinghua begged, battinging his eyelashes at the fluorescent blue screen.

[Because user 001 asked this system so nicely this system is willing to offer user 001 a chance to purchase a map of the palace layout.]

“How much?” Qinghua asked skeptically.

[500 points]

“500 points?! For a map?! That’s extortion!!!”

[Instead of complaining like always, does user 001 actually want to purchase a map of the palace?]

“Yes” Shang Qinghua grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Qinghua is beginning to think that everything the system offers him is ridiculously overpriced, but still he purchases the map of the palace anyways. When he does, another
fluorescent blue holographic screen pops up next to the system’s screen, this one however housed the newly purchased map.

[This system sincerely hopes that user 001 enjoys his purchase （＾ω＾）]

The system says before its holographic screen shuts off leaving Shang Qinghua with only the screen containing the map. Qinghua hums as he studies the map in front of him, mentally mapping out his route in his head and a few extra ones should something happen that would require him to abandon one of his plans.

With that done, Qinghua took off. He made sure to keep close to the walls and keep his steps quiet, which wasn’t too hard considering the no shoes thing, that is one hundred percent going to become an issue once he gets outside of the palace walls. He shot glances to the map every now and then, the screen floating next to him as it effortlessly followed his movements.

Shang Qinghua hummed as he came to a stop in front of an inconspicuous looking door. He took a deep breath in and out before he gently nudged the door open, peeking his head in cautiously. He lets out a sigh of relief once he finds the room empty. He pushes the door the rest of the way open and closes it behind him carefully as he steps into the room, he locks the door just in case as well.

Looking around the room reveals it to be what looks like an ordinary office. A desk with a chair sat on the left of the room with bookcases filled with books sitting behind it. A few plant pots littered the room along with shelves full of what looked like old nick nacks.

If his memory serves him correctly (which given the help of the map, he’s sure it does) there should be a secret door in this room that leads down into a set of tunnels that run under the palace and have a few leading out of the palace grounds as well.

Of course when he wrote these tunnels he had no intention of them having another purpose other than helping Binghe woo wife number two hundred and thirty three. He met her at one of the royal banquets he threw for some holiday or festival, (he can’t remember which one it was or what the reason or name for the festival/holiday was.)

Anyways Binghe was charmed by her beauty and the two snuck away from the banquet and used these tunnels to discreetly leave the palace to go and enjoy the celebrations down in the city instead, just the two of them.

Of course she (whatever her name was, Xiaomei? Mei? Li? Meilin? Oh whatever, there's too many of them to remember all their names) was naturally charmed by Luo Binghe and fell deeply in love with him and then they wed, and miss no name wife two hundred and thirty three was never seen again.

It’s hardly important now anyways. Qinghua moves forward and walks around the desk and towards the bookcase that sits directly behind the desk. He studied it for a moment before he began pulling books slightly. It took him a few tries but eventually he got it right and the book case opened up just like a door, revealing a set of stairs leading down.

He can’t deny that it does look kinda creepy and the tunnels are most likely no different, but this was his best bet on getting out so it was either chicken out and get tortured by Luo Binghe for his golden blood or brave the creepy stairs and tunnels.

With one final deep breath in and out, Shang Qinghua began descending down the stairs, flinching as the bookcase door swung shut behind him. He used the wall to help steady himself as he walked down the stairs, thankful for the dim blue glow of the screen that held the map, otherwise he would be doing this in total darkness.

Once he reached the bottom of the stairs he took to studying the map once more he may remember these tunnels but he also remembers using the phrase “each hall looked like the next” when writing so he has little doubt in his mind that he would get very lost without his map. On the plus side though he doesn’t need to worry about potentially running into anyone down here.

Once he figured out the rough direction he needed to head in, he took off once more. He made his way through the identical halls of the tunnels at an even pace, using the dim glow of the screen to see in the pitch black, he’s sure to others it would look like he was just navigating through the dark with no help whatsoever. Qinghua soon found himself humming as he wandered through the tunnels. If he thought about it realistically he was probably going to be walking for a few hours, so a little humming to starve of a bit of boredom could hardly hurt.

Shang Qinghua froze as he heard something clatter behind him, his humming abruptly cutting off as he did so. He felt himself holding his breath as he slowly turned his head to look behind him. He stared at the blue illuminated empty space behind him, nothing seemed to be there. He watched with bated breath for a minute, only letting out a sigh of relief when nothing happened.

Of course nothing was there, these tunnels are empty, have been for a while. No one but him should be down here, no one but him is down here. He probably kicked a bit of debris by accident without noticing and it hit a wall or something. He had nothing to worry about, he was fine, he will be fine.

In just a few hours he was going to be safe and out of the palace grounds and then he would run far far away, somewhere where Luo Binghe would never find him. Then he won’t have to worry about a certain psychopathic creation of his cutting him up and eating him, all because of some myth that in doing so you could gain his so-called godhood.

He didn’t even know where that rumour came from, and when he asked the system about it it told him it wasn’t true. In fact he wasn’t even sure if he could be classified as a God, he didn’t possess any cool arse powers or anything as far as he was aware (unless you count the system, but he considers that more as a curse.) The only thing that set him apart from ordinary humans was his golden blood, not counting him being a transmigrator or the system of course.

Having mentally talked himself down from a spiral and having assured himself that nothing was in fact behind him Shang Qinghua turned back around and continued walking, this time looking at his feet to avoid kicking anymore small bits of debris and giving himself a very much unwanted heart attack.

Qinghua let out a muffled puff of air as he walked into a wall, he could’ve sworn he wasn’t close enough to run into any walls just yet, consequences of not looking where you’re going he supposes.

He tensed up as a pair of hands settled firmly on his hips, oh my god, not at a wall, not a wall, not a wall!!!!! He lifted his head off of the now identified chest (why couldn’t it have been a wall?!) and tilted his head up to look at the person that held him in their grasp, though he had a sneaky suspicion on who it was.

Lo and behold, there stood Luo Binghe’s perfect and stupidly handsome face staring down at him. Oh god he was going to die, here lies Shang Qinghua, a fool who thought he could escape the protagonist with no planning.

Shang Qinghua flinched as Luo Binghe let out a low chuckle as one of his thumbs began rubbing deceptively soft circles into the bone of his hip.

“Where are you going, little God?”

Notes:

I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter, please let me know what you thought!
I'm not sure when the next chapter is going to be out, i'm going to be pretty busy this month and then i'm back at school so updates may be a little bit slower from now on.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 7 of System Error