A Handbook for Raising an Inhuman Boyfriend [Short Stories]

Snake Demon ✔ | Ghost ✔ | Rabbit CEO ✔ | Peacock | Kitty | Octopus | Begonia Demon | Puppet

Each story is 1v1, with a happy ending and both leads' first time.

Blurb:

In certain movie stories, there are always nonhuman side characters destined for tragic endings. But when one little "butterfly" after another intervenes with overwhelming force, it nudges the threads of their fate in a different direction.

And so, tragic movies become sweet love stories.

[Story One] Resilient, insecure college student vs. snake demon with a motherly streak ✔

Li Yuetong is studying abroad when a malicious classmate pushes her into a lake.

She is rescued by a creature with a human torso and a serpent's tail. It has red hair and emerald eyes, an eerie, dazzling beauty, and a powerful tail.

Li Yuetong, timidly: It's so beautiful, but it eats people, right?

She thinks she is doomed, but the monster only clumsily pats her back and gently, awkwardly soothes her to sleep.

Oh, she gets it. It wants to fatten her up before eating her, like a stockpile of food.

Trapped beneath the water, Li Yuetong is terrified and uneasy. But gradually, its patient care and unique way of communicating ease her fears.

Li Yuetong hesitates: It's unbelievably gentle. Maybe it would even agree if I asked to go back to land?

The monster naturally agrees. Or rather, whatever she asks, it agrees to unconditionally, even if that means leaving its home behind for a place it knows nothing about.

But as long as they are together, nothing else matters.

Whatever she says, it will do.

[Story Two] Black-market doctor in a poor district of an interstellar society vs. frail, weepy man from ancient times ✔

Xia Wanhe, a renowned physician from a feudal dynasty, transmigrates into the interstellar era and becomes a black-market doctor and repair worker in a poor district.

To keep the house her grandmother left her, she strikes a deal with the Interstellar Enforcement Bureau. But on her way to meet them, a torrential downpour sweeps her into a haunted secret realm.

There, she meets a ghost in white who has lived alone for centuries.

With snow-white skin, almond eyes, and a vivid red beauty mark beneath one eye, he leaps lightly from beneath a pear tree, holding an oil-paper umbrella as he softly asks where she is from.

It is like a beautiful dream scented with pear blossoms.

But later, Xia Wanhe discovers that he is a crybaby.

He cries when he thinks she dislikes him, but also begs her pitifully for compassion.

He cries when he thinks he is about to disappear forever, yet still stands in front of her to protect her.

In the end, he even cries when they are together, and he looks beautiful doing it.

"You were mine when you were a ghost, and you'll be mine after I die, too. You and I will be tangled together in life and death, just like this."

Xia Wanhe tugs on his sleeve, utterly domineering. The crybaby obediently agrees, smiling with his whole face.

Wonderful. If that's what you want, miss, then I could not ask for more.

[Story Three] Outgoing on the outside, reserved within flower shop owner vs. arrogant, short-tempered CEO bunny ✔

Sun Lingyang is a flower shop owner who just wants to hold on to her own little patch of ground. She wants nothing to do with strangers, but she's the complete opposite when it comes to animals.

Especially fluffy ones.

After a failed blind date, she accidentally bumps into a certain rabbit and touches his ears, thinking it is just a chance encounter.

But his instincts as a member of his species trigger a false pregnancy, and he sets his sights on her.

The short-tempered bunny CEO relentlessly pursues her, throws money around to get hired at her flower shop, works for free in human form by day, and turns into a rabbit for people to play with at night.

He's forced to stay by the side of this annoying human all day.

Sun Lingyang: Why is this pest here again?

Is there something wrong with his brain? I've never seen anyone pay to work before. Well, for the sake of witnessing this walking human oddity, I guess I'll let him stay for now.

At least she has a bunny for company, or she'd go crazy.

Oh my, how can anything be this cute?

She cups her face in her hands, admiring the rabbit's beauty.

She thinks that once the false pregnancy ends, she'll go straight back to her normal life.

But when her hand touches his waist, why does he instinctively go limp and arch his back, trembling as he lifts his tail and begs for her affection?

"Is... is this really just because of the false pregnancy?"

The CEO can't figure it out,

and one day, his secret identity is exposed.

"You... why do you have rabbit ears?"

[Story Four] Stone-faced, powerful body cultivator vs. arrogant, narcissistic peacock

Zhao Jing is a petite, stone-faced body cultivator from the Bati Sect, a Golden Core powerhouse who wields a heavy hammer and loves fighting and food.

Ling Zhao is the Peacock Clan's holy son, proud and narcissistic, with a feather fan in hand. In his entire life, he has admired no one but himself.

At the All-Clans Tournament, Ling Zhao is soundly defeated by Zhao Jing. Unwilling to accept it, he keeps after her, fighting and losing again and again.

One day, a fight sends them tumbling off a cliff, and they accidentally enter a secret realm together. Its rules force them to pretend to be husband and wife, punishing them if they resist.

But as they go through the motions, the human and the demon slowly fall for each other. The peacock who once had eyes only for himself gradually comes to love Zhao Jing,

offering her his most magnificent feathers.

"Because of you, I think I've stopped being a narcissist."

[Story Five] Authoritarian, old-fashioned secretary with a stern parental streak vs. timid, beautiful, foolish kitty

Shen Yan is a top secretary, forceful and old-fashioned in her ways, and has suffered from insomnia for years.

Xue Liu is a white-haired Persian cat demon with heterochromia, who has come to the city in search of an opportunity, guided by a divination.

After being caught up in a workplace plot, Xue Liu, who has been working as a hotel cleaner to make ends meet, accidentally saves Shen Yan. He ends up becoming her live-in housekeeper.

One day, she discovers she can sleep soundly with Xue Liu beside her, and starts keeping him on a tight leash.

"From now on, you'll work part-time as my sleeping pill. I'll double your pay." She looks down at the beautiful young man putting on her shoes and announces it unilaterally.

Xue Liu lowers his fluffy white head and obediently lets her arrange everything. For some reason, he doesn't mind being controlled and ordered around by her. In fact... he might even like it?

The sweet, obedient cat demon gradually becomes an indispensable part of Shen Yan's life.

But when Shen Yan suddenly falls gravely ill, she hardens her heart and coldly orders him away: "Go. Don't come looking for me again."

Xue Liu leaves in a daze, but unexpectedly learns of their past lives from a ghost messenger: In their previous life, Shen Yan traded half her lifespan so her little cat could take human form. And he was her cat.

She was his master, and she was his lover.

After learning the truth, the cat demon decisively offers up half his lifespan to save Shen Yan. When she wakes, all her memories of their past life return.

She gently strokes his cat ears. "Xue Liu. Don't cry. Come here and hold me."

In this life or the last, my cat will always come looking for me. Cats are so adorable, they deserve to become their owner's partner.

[Story Six] Sweet-and-sour snack stall owner with a hidden ruthless side vs. naturally clueless giant octopus

Cen Qiao is a cheerful, sturdy snack stall owner who makes the best takoyaki.

A Yuan is a giant octopus hidden in the abyssal depths. His true form is terrifyingly powerful, but he loves to eat and sleep and has nothing but air between his ears.

During a storm at sea, the shrunken, sleeping A Yuan is hauled ashore and eventually ends up in Cen Qiao's hands.

Just as Cen Qiao is sharpening her knives to make her signature takoyaki, he suddenly opens his eyes and reverts to his true form, frightening her into bolting out the door.

But later, once she realizes how simple-hearted he is, she comes up with a plan. "I'll give you a place to stay on land, and you give me a few tentacles. We both benefit, and they grow back quickly anyway." That'll cut costs by quite a bit!

She sweet-talks the clueless A Yuan into agreeing.

To him, losing a tentacle is just ordinary shedding. As long as he gets food and sleep, he obediently lets her take what she needs.

As they spend every day together, Cen Qiao loves teasing the silly fellow. Gradually, her heart softens, and she can't bring herself to hurt him anymore, so she decides to let him return to the deep sea.

But the slow-witted A Yuan has already grown attached to her. His soft tentacles keep winding around her waist, clinging to her side.

"Don't go. I want to stay with you."

Then disaster strikes. A biological research lab, having noticed something unusual about the stall, kidnaps A Yuan.

At that moment, Cen Qiao finally understands her feelings and decides to infiltrate the lab to rescue her adorable octopus.

Meanwhile, the abyssal beast she thinks of as gentle and sweet goes berserk, breaks through its restraints, destroys the lab, and finds her like a dog who has found its master.

They embrace in the face of danger and confess their feelings. The octopus completes his comeback from "ingredient" to "pet" to lover.

From then on, Cen Qiao gives up her takoyaki stall. The woman and the octopus settle by the sea and happily start a seafood business.

The fish and shrimp in the sea: Speak up for us!

"If you want to eat octopus balls, you don't have to tell the octopus. I'll bring them to you myself."

[Story Seven] Senior Sister of the Heartless Sword Path vs. devoted begonia demon

Ling Qinghan is the senior sister of the Heartless Sword Path. Her swordsmanship is unrivaled, and she was born with muted emotions. She has been stuck at the tribulation stage for ages, unable to break through.

On the day she goes down the mountain to slay a tiger demon, the begonia demon Tang Wu is pushed forward by his clan as a sacrifice to curry favor with her. His master sends word that she should take Tang Wu in and use him to temper her Dao heart.

The two make a pact. Tang Wu kneels respectfully before the cold, transcendent sword immortal. His seductive yet clear eyes gaze up at her. "I'll do everything I can to win your heart. If I succeed, please let me go."

Ling Qinghan holds her sword and gives a cool nod. "Agreed."

They spend a century together, day and night. Tang Wu uses every trick to flirt with her, but ends up falling for her first. Ling Qinghan, however, never develops romantic feelings for him. She treats him as a servant bound by their agreement, as coldly as ever.

Heartbroken, Tang Wu takes the initiative to recommend another demon to replace him.

"My lady, Tang Wu has failed you. He can take over my duties. In exchange, please allow me to leave."

"Fine." The still-cold, heartless sword immortal nods, seemingly not caring about this trivial matter.

But only after Tang Wu has gone and the replacement demon comes to her side does Ling Qinghan suddenly realize that he has long since become someone she cannot live without.

Her sealed emotions all awaken, and her sword heart suddenly becomes clear. She immediately sends the other demon away, then flies after Tang Wu, who is still on the road.

"You can't leave. You are the only one I've ever wanted."

Tang Wu freezes in place, and the next moment she pulls him into her arms. The edge of the Heartless Sword Path finally bends for this begonia blossom.

"I was a humble servant, yet I fell in love with a handful of snow atop an icy mountain."

[Story Eight] Greedy, lustful merchant who loves her abacus vs. gloomy, obsessive puppet

The calculating, money-hungry merchant Su Liu is passing through southern Yunnan on business when she accidentally disrupts A Si's plan to raise Gu worms for revenge.

A Si bears a grudge and curses her in retaliation, but her many magical artifacts block every curse. Neither can get the better of the other, so they have no choice but to call a temporary truce.

Su Liu says coldly, "We're even. From here on, we'll each go our own way."

But A Si is petty. He secretly follows her, disguises himself as an obedient scholar, and waits for a chance to kill her. Su Liu sees through the disguise at a glance, wounds him, and sends him fleeing in disgrace.

Still resentful, A Si keeps sabotaging her and ruining her business. Su Liu can take no more and sets a trap to kill him. But when she sees his gorgeous, brooding face, she changes her mind at the last minute.

She chuckles and casts a binding spell. "You're too good-looking to die. You're mine."

A Si is forced to become her possession, but the hatred that builds over time slowly twists into obsessive love.

He thinks, covetously and humbly: Even if I'm just a plaything, it's enough as long as she looks at me.

But as time goes by, the novelty wears off, and Su Liu eventually grows tired of him. She brings home a gentle butterfly demon to flirt with for fun.

Extreme jealousy tears apart the binding spell. A Si completely loses himself to darkness, turns Su Liu into a puppet, and curses them to share every joy and sorrow for eternity.

As a puppet, Su Liu acts compliant and ingratiating on the surface, but secretly bides her time and gathers strength. In the end, she kills A Si with her own hands.

But the curse has entered their souls, and death cannot end it.

From then on, they are entangled for all eternity, unable to escape.

"I curse us to be together forever, even if only our souls remain."

Theme: Strive to live your own life well. Every person has value simply by being born human.