My Grandmaster Doesn't Love the Heroine, He Loves Her Substitute [Book Transmigration]

Coming soon: The Big Shot Cries at My Grave Every Day. Please add it to your favorites.

Silly version:

Xia Yunzhi transmigrated into a book. To be reborn, she had to become a cannon-fodder character who put the protagonists through their paces, playing all kinds of roles: an old demoness who ate people, a seductress who kept male lovers, a little eunuch stirring up trouble in the imperial palace, and so on.

Xia Yunzhi thought it was a good deal. Play a few cannon-fodder roles in exchange for a chance to live again? Worth it. But then something unexpected happened.

The first time:

"I'll kill you, you man-eating monster!"

The protagonist ran a sword through Xia Yunzhi, but she smiled. Great! I'm one step closer to being reborn!

But before she lost consciousness, she saw the pitiful little one she'd once helped by chance, hands clenched tight, eyes reddening.

The second time:

"I'll kill you, you lecher!"

The protagonist ran a sword through Xia Yunzhi. Great! I'm two steps closer to being reborn!

Before she could even smile, she saw the pitiful little one, who should have been unconscious and injured, struggling to crawl toward her. Though his injuries left him unable to speak, his eyes looked as if they were about to bleed.

The Nth time:

"I'll kill you, you devil!"

The protagonist swung his sword... and was sent flying. At some point, the pitiful little one had become a powerful being, so powerful that everyone bowed at his feet, even the heroine who had once rejected him now seeking his favor.

But he wasn't moved in the slightest. His eyes were fixed only on Xia Yunzhi, who had once helped him.

"With me here, who dares lay a hand on her?!"

Xia Yunzhi cried. The big shot came up to her and gently wiped away her tears. "Don't be afraid. No one will hurt you again."

Xia Yunzhi: "You're amazing!"

But inside, she thought, Let me die! I want to be reborn!

Only when she saw the grave markers the big shot had set up for her after every "death," with graves stretching as far as the eye could see and the big shot having cried at each one, did she understand: dying was out of the question.

Serious version:

In the Demon Palace, Song Huaizui calmly accepted death. For Xia Yunzhi, he was willing to die.

But at the crucial moment, someone stepped in front of him. Watching her gradually disappear, Song Huaizui was stunned.

"Huaizui, live well."

Those were the words she left behind before disappearing.

But he didn't listen.

In the three thousand formations of the righteous sects, Song Huaizui walked barefoot through them, expending all his cultivation as he awaited a thousand cuts. Before he died, his eyes were bloodshot, filled with endless longing. "How could I bear to let you die?"

Story blurb:

Liang Xiaoxiao transmigrated into a fantasy cultivation novel, becoming a minor villainess with a tragic ending.

Liang Xiaoxiao looked over her character description: alluring, beautiful, and well-endowed, but a thoroughly venomous woman. Because she looked somewhat like the heroine, she clung to the hero, hoping to become the heroine's replacement. When the real heroine returned, she foolishly plotted against her again and again. In the end, the hero and heroine joined forces to eliminate her, leaving her soul scattered and not a trace behind.

Liang Xiaoxiao shuddered. She had such a lovely body, so she had to take good care of it. Luckily, none of it had happened yet, and there was still time to redeem herself.

But she never expected to find a little kitten in the mountains. Its fur was soft and glossy, and only its eyes bore a strange resemblance to the hero's...

Later, after the kitten's true identity was revealed, Liang Xiaoxiao kept it well fed and cared for. Gazing at the lush spring scenery outside the window, she said, "What a shame to waste such lovely fur. If you had a few kittens, they'd surely be just like you."

The cat, sleeping comfortably on Liang Xiaoxiao's lap, twitched its ears and ignored her.

"There was a little female cat interested in you the other day. Why not give in to her? At least you'd leave some heirs."

The cat gave an unhappy meow, its eyes like a pond that had yet to thaw.

So Liang Xiaoxiao spent the whole night grooming the little cat...

Reading guide: The male lead doesn't actually like the original heroine; it's all a misunderstanding, and the original heroine has someone she loves, too. Both leads are each other's one and only, so read with confidence! The logic serves the plot, so don't overthink it, cuties. There are also lots of author's personal worldbuilding choices, such as the heroine being afraid of the cold and cultivators needing to eat, and so on.

Revised December 10, 2019

Theme: The stand-in's comeback