After Rebirth, This Simp Gives Up on His First Love

[Demon Lord Gong x Left Protector Shou]

1.

Jiang Xun is Qin Zhouye's dog.

Everyone knows that the taciturn Left Protector Jiang Xun, who kills without batting an eye, is Demon Lord Qin Zhouye's lapdog.

No one knows that Jiang Xun is also hopelessly devoted to him.

2.

In his previous life, Jiang Xun had been secretly in love with Qin Zhouye for fifteen years.

They met as youths, and Jiang Xun fell for him at first sight. He willingly became Qin Zhouye's sharpest blade, clearing every obstacle in his path and staying by his side as he rose from obscurity to rule the world.

In public and in private, he let Qin Zhouye have whatever he wanted. He never left his side, and his loyalty never wavered.

In a romance tale, they would have been childhood sweethearts who became husband and wife, a legendary couple deeply in love.

Unfortunately, Qin Zhouye was blind in both eyes and heart. He accepted all of Jiang Xun's devotion without a second thought, yet never once noticed it.

Jiang Xun thought it was fine. Qin Zhouye had probably cultivated the Path of Emotionlessness.

Until one day, Qin Zhouye decided to form a cultivation bond with someone else.

Jiang Xun finally understood: Oh. He was only heartless toward me.

On the day of the bond ceremony, disaster struck without warning.

Jiang Xun took a sword meant for Qin Zhouye and died quite suddenly.

3.

Jiang Xun was reborn, returning to the past before any of it had happened.

I've been reborn. This time, I'll take back everything that belongs to me...

Wait.

A tale of revenge and face-slapping? A triumphant comeback?

No.

The highest stage of being a lovesick fool: let go, say goodbye, and wish him happiness.

Jiang Xun: I have decided to sever my ties to love and live as an unburdened salted fish from now on.

4.

First, he had to leave Qin Zhouye. Jiang Xun volunteered to infiltrate a righteous sect as a spy.

But he never expected Qin Zhouye to take on a new identity and follow him there.

Things started taking a strange turn.

Qin Zhouye, who had treated Jiang Xun with utter coldness in his previous life, suddenly became... clingy.

The Demon Lord, once occupied with a thousand affairs, became a huge attachment trailing behind him. Every day, he would stare at Jiang Xun, hold his hand, hug him, and sleep beside him. He teased and flirted with him every chance he got.

He kept it up until Jiang Xun was blushing, flustered, and ready to die of embarrassment.

...The power of having your unrequited love throw himself at you is truly terrifying!

But Qin Zhouye kept his lips sealed, never saying a word about love.

As the ancients said: flirting without giving someone a title is the behavior of a scumbag.

Jiang Xun knew this all too well. At last, he found a chance to cut ties with Qin Zhouye once and for all, and walked away feeling light as air.

Not long afterward, news came that Qin Zhouye was going to form a cultivation bond with someone else.

It was exactly like his previous life.

Jiang Xun: ...I'm not surprised in the slightest.

On the day of the bond ceremony, Jiang Xun hid far away inside the sect.

Suddenly, the earth shook.

From the panicked disciples, he heard what had happened: the Demon Lord had suddenly stabbed his soon-to-be partner at the ceremony, then stormed over to the sect and started blasting it apart, demanding they return his person to him.

Jiang Xun: "?"

The next moment, the roof of his hiding place exploded into rubble, and Qin Zhouye forced his way in and pulled him into his arms.

Qin Zhouye's expression was dark, his madness like that of a ghost.

Under the horrified gazes of everyone around them, he tightened his arms around Jiang Xun with feverish devotion and murmured happily, "...Mine."

5.

One day, Qin Zhouye suddenly began paying attention to his quiet Left Protector.

For some reason, he couldn't stop wanting to get closer.

By chance, Qin Zhouye discovered a secret: Jiang Xun was secretly in love with him.

How outrageous. How brazen.

To harbor such thoughts toward one's superior deserved death!

...But he didn't seem to dislike it.

After that, he had two daily pleasures: watching Jiang Xun's longing, hesitant expression, and counting the days until Jiang Xun confessed his love.

Qin Zhouye thought, with a touch of haughty pride: Jiang Xun loves him deeply and is utterly devoted to him...

It wouldn't be impossible to accept.

Later, he didn't get the confession he was waiting for. Instead, Jiang Xun left him without looking back.

Qin Zhouye finally understood. It had all been a ridiculous misunderstanding.

Jiang Xun had never felt that way about him. From the very beginning, all he had wanted was to leave his side.

His fury was boundless.

But beneath that fury...

He could feel his heart pounding uncontrollably for that person. His face expressionless, his gaze dark.

After making me like this, how could I possibly let you get away?

*

Reader's Guide

1. One gong and one shou, unwaveringly devoted to each other. Their feelings are strongly mutual, and each is the other's first love. Happy ending.

2. The gong has no cultivation partner, in either his previous or current life. This will be explained later.

3. The shou is slightly doted on by everyone.

4. The gong falls in love without realizing it, then gradually catches on.

Theme: Fight against fate and keep striving to grow stronger.