After I Slacked Off on the Romance Route, the Love Rival Showdown Was Everywhere

[The author's other book, His Childhood Friend Is Actually a Monster Tyrant, is currently updating.] [Not a strong female lead, not a powerful heroine, and not a power fantasy. For detailed content warnings, see the author's note in Chapter One. Thank you for reading.] [Blurb] Lian Yang is told that she's the lovesick heroine of a tragic romance novel, destined to be abused until the end. To rewrite the story, she's forced to win over Shu Ge, the original story's cruel and vicious minor villain who falls to demonic ways. She fusses over him and offers him comfort, but his affection rating rises more slowly than a turtle. Lian Yang: I may be half-hearted about winning him over, but his affection is even more half-hearted. I'm done! Lian Yang decides to change tactics: cast a wide net and catch as many fish as she can. - Her fish-raising strategy seems to work at first. The arrogant miracle doctor, usually known for his gloomy expression, gazes at her with tender affection and cautiously begs for her pity. "Immortal... could you spare me a little more of your tenderness?" The fox demon, usually calculating and surrounded by blades, looks desolate as he begs her. "It doesn't matter if Junior Sister lies to me. Just don't leave me alone." The powerful sword spirit, as pure as snow on a mountain peak, bends down and holds her hand. He shows his weakness only to her. "Yangyang, if you can't trust me completely, then start with just a little." Even the minor villain, who tried to kill her with his sword the first time they met, looks resentful as he says, "Even if Senior Sister treats me like a dog, she should at least throw me a bone, shouldn't she?" As their affection ratings rise, the plot changes smoothly, too. Until Lian Yang receives four secret letters on her birthday, each inviting her to meet at midnight at the back mountain, the cold pool, the bamboo grove, or the sword pavilion. Lian Yang closes her eyes. ...Could you not all ask me out on the same night? [Reading Guide] The writing is serious and slow-paced. It's full of melodrama, full of melodrama, full of melodrama. This is not a power fantasy with a strong female lead. The heroine only takes the lead in romance later on. The male characters are not perfect, and there are coercive scenes early in the story. Their behavior will gradually improve as they go through a process of guidance and correction. Everyone's feelings are one-sided, and there's a lot of romance. This isn't orthodox cultivation, and it has many original settings. For detailed content warnings, see the author's note in Chapter One. Thank you for reading! [Upcoming Book Blurb] Blurb One A hundred years after transmigrating into a book, Yu Pei finally receives a long-delayed mission from the System. [Play the villainess and win over the original story's villain, Su Zhan, and you can shatter the void and return to the present day.] Yu Pei: Got it! Su Zhan is cruel and twisted, a bloodthirsty monster in the eyes of the world. Tens of thousands of cultivators from the four realms have joined forces to hunt him down for over a decade, but they still can't destroy him completely. All they can do is temporarily seal away his heart. After countless hardships, Yu Pei finally finds the monster's heart on Demon Mountain. It's a fluffy little ball. Yu Pei: ? The System warns her, "Host, don't be fooled by its cute appearance. It's actually vicious and poisonous, absolutely terrifying! It's fine if winning it over takes time. We've got plenty of it." As soon as it finishes speaking, the fluffy ball curls itself up and nestles in Yu Pei's arms. A suspicious blush shows through its dark fur. System:?! Where did that dog come from? Fluffy ball: Gurgle gurgle o(*+°+^+°+*)o Yu Pei: Damn it! Where's the viciousness? Where's the poison? And where's the sack?! - After finally getting the heart away from Demon Mountain, Yu Pei is stopped midway by her childhood friend, Zhu Yu. Zhu Yu looks considerate. "I heard you broke off our engagement and ran away from home to find your beloved. Who is it?" Before Yu Pei can answer, she catches a glimpse of tentacles peeking out from under his robe, exactly like the fluffy ball's little appendages. Yu Pei, eyes wide in shock: Oh no! I think I've uncovered an earth-shattering secret. "Is it the young master of the Ghost Realm who guards the mountain, the half-demon at your side, or a fellow disciple you've just met?" The young man's expression is calm, but his golden eyes glint, and a fierce, unruly air lurks in their depths. In the half-light, tendrils of mist like vines gradually wind around Yu Pei's waist. He strokes the back of her neck with a low laugh, his breath searing hot. "Tell me, besides your big brother, who else do you want, Pei Pei? "Don't worry. I won't touch him." Yu Pei: ...Could you put the sword in your hand down first? Blurb Two To gather attack points, Yu Pei takes on the role of a villain. She provokes the young master of the Ghost Realm, who guards the heart, every day, forcing him to draw his sword. He's naturally cold and always scolds her for breaking the rules, telling her to leave Demon Mountain. Yu Pei thinks he can't stand her, but when her sect falsely accuses her, he makes an exception and leaves Demon Mountain, with all the ghosts wailing behind him. "If you don't clear my master's name today, I'll have to reclaim justice with my sword." Yu Pei: ? Who's your master? - Yu Pei drags the kind and gentle original heroine to the training ground every day, sending her a challenge every three days. The heroine never refuses, but she always seems hesitant, as if she has something to say. Yu Pei assumes she doesn't like training, until the heroine's family tells her to return home and inherit the family business. The heroine grabs Yu Pei's hand and firmly refuses. "This isn't where my ambitions lie. Only Pei Pei truly understands my heart." Yu Pei: ...What does she think she understands? - Yu Pei clashes with the hypocritical, heartless, and powerful half-demon until he questions his entire existence. Every day, he wants nothing more than to take her life. Yu Pei thinks he sees her as an enemy, but when the revered Lord of the Three Realms tries to seal a demon pact with him, he quietly refuses. "I have already acknowledged my master. The pact is carved into my soul. From now on, I share my fate with my master, Yu Pei." Yu Pei: No, wait! Isn't something wrong here?! Theme: Stay true to your heart