A Little Clay Stove

[A full subscription costs only 2.91. Thank you for supporting the original. My new book, Backed by a Big Shot, Life's a Breeze, is a sweet ABO entertainment-industry story. The blurb is below. If you're interested, please add it to your collection!]

Song Shiyi was a hardworking office drone. He didn't earn much, but could just about support himself.

Unfortunately, he got a late-night craving and went out to buy a snack. He died in a car accident and transmigrated into the body of another "Song Shiyi," who had absolutely nothing.

Facing a squeaky bed frame, drafty windows, and an empty grain sack, Song Shiyi realized that this was truly the worst possible start.

At least he had a few acres of good farmland and a couple of hoes. Living on sweet potatoes and cold wind wasn't ideal, but it was certainly a novel experience.

After half a day of hard work, in the pitch-dark hours before dawn, Song Shiyi found a handsome man in the field who was barely breathing.

Well, when the man woke up, he wept and called him "big brother," lamenting his tragic past. Song Shiyi couldn't bear to see anyone like that, so he held him and comforted him. "I'll take care of you from now on."

They were both worse off than before, and life was a lot more difficult.

Song Shiyi came up with plenty of ideas to improve their lives, and finally hit on a new one:

Growing and selling shiitake mushrooms.

At first, Song Shiyi only wanted to make a little extra money so they could afford a proper meat meal.

Who could have guessed that orders would keep pouring in, and he'd end up with his own mushroom farm? Business was booming.

Maybe he should open a hot pot restaurant, Song Shiyi thought. Running a hot pot business sounded like fun, too.

With a modern hot pot chain's management model as his guide, business kept getting better and better.

Song Shiyi went from having nothing to becoming one of the most promising businesspeople in the capital.

When he was invited to speak at a chamber of commerce meeting, Song Shiyi panicked. He had no idea what to say.

The handsome man who had always been at his side encouraged him wholeheartedly and thoughtfully drew up a list of three points for him.

Song Shiyi spent the night memorizing it word for word, then happily cooked several meals.

He'd worked himself up countless times, but when he actually arrived, he couldn't help feeling nervous.

Throughout the event, Song Shiyi kept his head down, silently staring at the tips of his shoes, completely unaware of his surroundings.

It wasn't until he was called on that he realized the chairman of the chamber of commerce sitting at the head table looked so familiar...

*

After being deceived by the person at his side for so long, Song Shiyi was naturally furious. As soon as they got home, he shut the other man outside.

But even the strongest man can't resist someone who won't let up, especially when the other party is a shameless green tea schemer.

It was bad enough that he tried to tempt a starving man with all kinds of food. He even "sincerely" fussed over him and told him not to be too angry.

Utterly despicable!

Amid the howling wind, the door finally opened...

He only let him in because he was afraid the man would freeze to death. It definitely wasn't because he was worried about him...

Reading Guide:

1. The top was picked up by the bottom in a field and is only staying with him temporarily. There is no familial relationship between them.

2. The story is monogamous, and the top and bottom are each other's only pairing. Please don't ship them with anyone else or split them up.

3. If there's a scene you'd like to see, feel free to leave a comment. I may write a bonus chapter about it later.

Please check out my upcoming book, Backed by a Big Shot, Life's a Breeze. Please add it to your collection!

Petty, green-tea, attention-seeking little sunshine, minor celebrity x aloof, steady, devoted big shot with a faint pheromone scent

1.

Yu An was a minor celebrity, so far down the pecking order that without power or influence, he had no one to rely on in this murky industry.

But he had an unforgettable face. A beautiful Omega like him was bound to attract covetous attention in this business.

He tread carefully, terrified of making a wrong move, but he was still set up.

At a drinking party, he drank until he was delirious and feverish, then staggered through a door.

That night, the room was filled with the scent of citrus and white tea.

2.

The man with whom he'd shared a fleeting one-night encounter was strange. He gave Yu An a lot of money, asked him to play the role of his "boyfriend," and added that Yu An would have to soothe his pheromones once a month.

Yu An was short on money, but he couldn't see why the man would need pheromone soothing.

Maybe it was some kind of rich man's quirk.

3.

From then on, Yu An made his role as the "big shot's boyfriend" official.

When he was treated unfairly on set, he called the big shot. "Honey, someone's picking on me."

By that afternoon, the production's investors had all been replaced.

When someone mocked him, saying he'd be dumped sooner or later, Yu An replied without blushing, "Do you have a handsome, rich husband like mine? If not, then keep quiet."

His outrageous comeback left them speechless.

When his childhood friend tried to talk some sense into him, Yu An blinked and said boldly, "I don't need lots and lots of love. I just need lots and lots of money."

Yu An caused a fuss every day, yet the big shot behind him always protected him.

Just when everyone was green with envy, the financial news suddenly announced, "The big shot is getting engaged!"

4.

He Jing became famous at a young age and was the quintessential "other people's child." But his therapist's report labeled him:

Aloof toward pheromones.

This was rare in an excellent Alpha. The doctor tried everything, but He Jing had no interest in treatment.

This is fine as it is, he told himself.

Until one day, someone enveloped in the scent of citrus pushed open his room door. He seemed to be in distress.

For the first time, He Jing used his pheromones to soothe someone, taking the initiative to comfort the young man whose eyes held the stars and the sea.

The unprecedented mingling of their pheromones opened up a whole new world for He Jing.

He heard that the young man needed money. How convenient: money was the one thing he had plenty of...

Theme: Stay true to your original aspiration and help the world