Shen Sui's life was honestly pretty dull. He was just an ordinary person in the world.
No money, no power, no connections, no talent.
No one would care if he died. He was like a weed growing by the roadside. There were plenty more weeds, after all.
This world belonged to the male and female leads. The plot revolved around them, and they were the most important people in the world. Who would care about a weed?
How could someone as ordinary as him ever become the center of everyone's attention?
But ordinary people have their own shining qualities. The favored children of heaven aren't perfect in every way. Shen Sui was ordinary, but he was also one of a kind.
[Emptying Chamber Pots in a Cultivation Novel]
In a cultivation novel, he becomes a lowly servant who empties chamber pots in the female lead's secular family's home. He takes advantage of her kind-heartedness before she turns evil and does his best to enter the immortal sect.
The thousands of years of love and hatred between the male and female leads have nothing to do with him. He only wants to improve his cultivation and live longer. So he simply follows the original story and snatches the female lead's opportunities.
But in the female lead's eyes, he's an honest, well-behaved little servant.
The half-corrupted female lead steps in front of him and declares to the cultivation world's assembled crowd, "We have already consummated our marriage. We have become Daoist partners."
Shen Sui looks at the female lead's resolute, upright back as she reassuringly takes his hand. But what he's thinking is, "Come on, I may be a cannon-fodder character, but I'm not here to fire cannonballs. Could you please get that through your love-addled head?"
[Being a Street Vendor in a Wuxia Novel]
In a wuxia novel, he's an unknown seller of medicated plasters in the marketplace. He's over thirty, has no money or status, and is a pathetic failure with no martial arts skills. His dream is to join the righteous martial arts world, sword in hand, riding out in fine clothes on a fine horse!
In the original story, he's just a passerby in the lives of the male and female leads, a pure plot device who looks after the female lead when she's in trouble. The male lead forces her into a brutal relationship that torments her body and soul. He's a dark, obsessive man with a possessiveness through the roof, unable to stand seeing the female lead get close to any man. Shen Sui gets caught in the crossfire. With no strength to resist, he's left at their mercy. In that moment, he, too, wants the power to control his own fate!
On a stormy night, when the female lead escapes, he deliberately leads her into his pigsty. He plans to take advantage of her natural talent for martial arts to train his own good-for-nothing body, but unexpectedly, he triggers the poison of love hidden in her bloodline.
Holding his one broken umbrella, he looks down at the man lying on the ground, the rain washing over him. His handsome, pale profile looks especially white. Just as Shen Sui turns to leave, a long, slender, pale hand suddenly grabs his ankle. The force of the grip catches him off guard, and he tumbles onto the man's body. They roll over several times and fall into a pile of straw. A kiss, mingled with rainwater, comes crashing down...
Blood covers the ground, bodies lie strewn everywhere. Suddenly, a bloody hand reaches out and desperately grabs a pale, slender ankle. The other person stiffens. Shen Sui climbs out of the pile of corpses, like a patch of green fighting its way to life in a crack in a sheer cliff.
"...Was it worth it?" To live through such hardship and still keep living. Was it worth it?
"Heh... Worth... it?" Shen Sui looks up. His laugh is hoarse, his voice like broken metal, yet still unyielding. His eyes are black as stars. "...You have to live... on to find out."
[Being the Old Codger in a Farming Novel]
In a farming novel, he's the male lead's uncle, though not by blood. He's cowardly, incompetent, lazy, and irresponsible. Growing older has done nothing for him. He's spent his whole life living off his family, never changing, timid and hesitant, a drab presence in the background. The male lead supports him, but he still lusts after the female lead, who's about to marry into the family. Only when he dies does he finally come to his senses. He wants to be a proper elder, a real adult who takes responsibility.
On the night the female lead and male lead pretend to marry and share a wedding chamber, the male lead has no intention of forcing her and leaves the bridal room. At that moment, Shen Sui is creeping onto the bed where the female lead is alone. In the stormy night, those beautiful eyes slowly open. The female lead has noticed him.
A disastrous start. Can he still become a proper elder after this? ...
But his body moves faster than his brain. He clamps a hand over the female lead's lips and whispers in her ear, "You don't want anyone else to find out, do you?"
(He's the male lead's uncle by marriage, not by blood.)
The worlds:
[Emptying Chamber Pots in a Cultivation Novel]
[Being a Street Vendor in a Wuxia Novel]
[Being the Old Codger in a Farming Novel]
[Being a Bandit in a Court Intrigue Novel]
[Being a Stray Dog in a Monster Novel]
[Being a Laborer in a Republican-Era Novel]
This world is for reference only. The author gets the final say.
P.S. 1. In every world, the cannon-fodder character starts off with a very lowly status. Of course, their status can improve, but not necessarily through gradual hard work. I've roughly planned a few worlds so far. I don't think the protagonist suffers, but everyone can decide for themselves. You can probably tell what I'm into from the blurb. After writing these blurbs, I've pretty much gotten all the satisfaction I need.
2. Romance is involved. This isn't a story exclusively about pursuing a career. The protagonist has a lowly status, but everyone who loves him is a powerful figure. He may even use his missions to rise in status. Anyway, his mission is to climb to the top. He becomes the center of everyone's attention, but he doesn't care.
3. This is an anything-goes fun story where I'm writing what I couldn't find elsewhere. It's not a traditional power fantasy, really, it isn't!! But it absolutely is a story about being the center of everyone's attention. After all, I've never written anything else. The first world isn't finished, and he'll return to it later. If you can't accept that, please, please don't read it!! I'm begging you. I really don't write traditional power fantasies, and the first world really isn't over.
4. "The meaning of life lies in having the courage to face life's meaninglessness.", Camus.
Theme: Everyone is the protagonist of their own life
Boss, don't give up. [Hold your thighs] [Hold your thighs]. Update slowly. Don't tire yourself. Update when you feel better. [Bite your handkerchief]
Ahhhh, I want to see the bloody Shura field!
It feels like there are a lot of characters appearing~, Shura Field must be very lively and exciting [bad laugh]
Don't give up, don't give up. I'm going to kneel down and beg you. The quality of this article is very good. I'm going to wear the best of it. I'm so tired that I need to rest before I write. My health is important, but I beg you not to give up. I'm too tired from work and don't have many hobbies. I only have to read the article. I really like this article. Please, please, please, please, please (crying loudly)
Don't give up [crying] [crying] [crying] Even if it takes ten and a half months to update one chapter, it's fine [biting the handkerchief] [biting the handkerchief]
I have been busy updating. Happy birthday to the author! Thank you for such an interesting story [shy]
I'm very sorry. Can you tell me the exact update time? [Poor] I feel like a madman when I come here to update every day. [Crying] [Crying]
Pan'er, why don't you write a text today? [Please] [Please] [Please]
No, boss, wait for you, just write slowly [crying] [crying]
Boss, don't give up. [Hold your thighs] [Hold your thighs]. Update slowly. Don't tire yourself. Update when you feel better. [Bite your handkerchief]
Ahhhh, I want to see the bloody Shura field! It feels like there are a lot of characters appearing~, Shura Field must be very lively and exciting [bad laugh]
Don't give up, don't give up. I'm going to kneel down and beg you. The quality of this article is very good. I'm going to wear the best of it. I'm so tired that I need to rest before I write. My health is important, but I beg you not to give up. I'm too tired from work and don't have many hobbies. I only have to read the article. I really like this article. Please, please, please, please, please (crying loudly)
Don't give up [crying] [crying] [crying] Even if it takes ten and a half months to update one chapter, it's fine [biting the handkerchief] [biting the handkerchief]
I have been busy updating. Happy birthday to the author! Thank you for such an interesting story [shy]
I'm very sorry. Can you tell me the exact update time? [Poor] I feel like a madman when I come here to update every day. [Crying] [Crying]
Pan'er, why don't you write a text today? [Please] [Please] [Please]
No, boss, wait for you, just write slowly [crying] [crying]
If I don't win, how can I live without you?
Gua Yiyi, don't give up the trap.