Mastering the Art of Keeping Everyone Happy in a Love Rivalry

Advance notice: the full manuscript of Is My Husband Really Dead This Time? is complete. A psycho x a psycho. You're welcome to add it to your collection!

The blurb is at the very bottom.

Pei Xia had a dream.

In the dream, a dark blue-black ribbon covered his eyes. Someone leaned close and chuckled in his ear. "Having fun on the dating show?"

"I went to so much trouble and expense to cure your mother's illness. How are you going to repay me?"

Pei Xia jolted awake.

Cured. My. Mother's. Illness!!!

Two little people were dancing in his head. One said, "He's up to no good. Stay away from him."

The other said, "But he can cure your mom!"

Pei Xia gritted his teeth. So what if it was a dating show? He'd accept the offer!

Worst case, if he tried anything, Pei Xia would grab a hammer and smash him!

But there was one problem. Who exactly had he dated?

After skimming through the book so quickly that he missed the name of his love interest, Pei Xia decided to wait and see, carefully observing who seemed like the likeliest candidate.

This movie star has way too much presence. He looks like someone you really shouldn't mess with. PASS.

That idol says he's a fan of mine. Huh? He actually likes someone like me? He must not be right in the head. PASS.

The top-tier star over here already has a ship, the director over there has a weird look in his eyes, and there's the gorgeous, aloof beauty who barely speaks, plus the gentle, old-school man with a thermos...

No matter how Pei Xia looked at them, none of these people seemed reliable. So he hid in a corner, watching the show and secretly searching for his target.

But then

The movie star rested his chin in his hand and smiled warmly. "If I could, I'd want to spend every day with Xia Xia from now on."

The idol pursed his lips, looking aggrieved. "I was the only one who knew how wonderful you were at the beginning, big brother."

The ice-cold beauty rarely smiled during an interview. "Xia Xia helped me realize that life still has so many meanings."

An inquisitive reporter gathered those remarks and read them aloud to Pei Xia, excitement flashing in his eyes as if he couldn't wait to see the drama unfold. "So, Mr. Pei Xia, what are you looking for in a partner?"

Pei Xia froze for three seconds, then slowly replied, "First of all, he has to cure my mother's illness."

Reporter: "..."

The reporter jotted down a note: Got it. Pei Xia says he isn't interested in any of them.

PS:

1. At first, everyone has a one-sided crush on the shou. Later, it's one-on-one, and the pairing is with the movie star.

2. There's a career storyline. He starts focusing on his career after the dating show ends.

3. Same-sex marriage is legal in this setting. It's an overwhelmingly sweet romance.

Advance blurb:

Jiang Mu had a problem: he seemed to be bound to an evil-god version of Final Destination.

Whenever the tentacled monster called Wu Xiao came back to life, the world would open a new instance.

"Death number 27." Jiang Mu expressionlessly twisted off Wu Xiao's head. "This time, you dissolved in a pool of acid. Estimated time until resurrection: 3 minutes and 42 seconds."

A new tentacle slowly emerged from Wu Xiao's severed neck and made a little heart. "Darling, you're getting better at this."

Ever since this Cthulhu-like ancient god possessed him, Jiang Mu had been forced to perform "A Hundred Ways to Kill an Evil God" every day:

- Blow up a building and kill him in a city devoted to pleasure.

- Run him over with a hydraulic press in a strange, desolate mountain village.

- He had even tried putting him in a microwave for three minutes.

But Wu Xiao always came back with an even more disturbing ability

This time, he had butterfly-like bony wings; next time, he turned into a translucent jellyfish. His latest form even came with rose-scented tentacles.

"Can't you just stay dead?" Jiang Mu stabbed his dagger into Wu Xiao's heart for the 108th time.

Wu Xiao licked the blood from his fingertip and whispered with a laugh, "If I died, who would take the hits for you?"

When Jiang Mu finally found a solution, Wu Xiao suddenly grabbed his hand and crushed his own essence.

"Congratulations, you've cleared the game." Wu Xiao chuckled as he faded away. "As a reward, "

Jiang Mu's waist suddenly grew hot, and Wu Xiao's voice exploded in his mind: "The next instance is going to be harder, baby."

Pairing: cold-blooded human weapon shou x fun-loving, immortal evil god gong

Reader's notes:

1. Slight post-apocalyptic elements, entirely fictional setting, complete nonsense throughout.

2. The gong's resurrection point is tied to the shou's heartbeat.

3. At first, one wants to possess the other, while the other wants to slay the god.

4. He really loves him so much.jpg

Theme: Rather than depend on others, why not give yourself some praise?