[Sweet romance, a little angst, handsome top and beautiful bottom, devoted 1v1, happy ending, secondary couples, several unrequited crushes on the bottom, love and hate.]
[Cool and aloof on the surface but actually proud, cunning, wild, and obsessed with fluffy things: the immortal venerable bottom * Fierce on the surface but actually tsundere, desperate for pets, and hopelessly love-struck: the demon lord top]
After a century in seclusion, Lin Jinghe emerged and found a badly wounded little black fox. Its fur was as dark as night, it had only one tail left, and its eyes were fierce enough to devour someone.
At a glance, he recognized his former rival and junior fellow disciple: Yin Que, now the Demon Lord.
But the little black fox felt so good to pet that Lin Jinghe fell silent for three seconds, then decided to pretend he did not know.
When Yin Que woke, he wanted to kill Shen Jinghe, but discovered that only his old nemesis's immortal power could repair his demonic core. To stay alive, the Demon Lord had no choice but to swallow his pride, gazing up with damp eyes every day to beg for pets while absorbing immortal energy to heal.
From then on, Lin Jinghe petted the fox on schedule every day, and Yin Que was forced to enjoy it.
Until one day, the two returned to the demon realm and accidentally entered a secret realm left by a master of romance, triggering a formation. Yin Que was forced back into human form, his clothes half undone. Lin Jinghe calmly helped him get dressed. "When are you changing back? Your human form is too distracting."
Yin Que was stunned. "...You knew all along?!"
Lin Jinghe gave him an impassive glance and neither confirmed nor denied it.
Yin Que's eyes darkened. He lunged and pinned Lin Jinghe to the ground, his voice low and amused. "After all that time you spent petting me, it's only fair I get to pet you back..."
Lin Jinghe's ears grew warm. The Yin Que who had just been acting shameless and playful now had unmistakable possessiveness in his eyes.
Core theme: Protecting the world is everyone's responsibility.
Goodgood, come on, author! 💪