A Catalog of Suckers

What does it mean to be a sucker? In the cultivation world, it might mean a Golden Core cultivator taking a Nascent Soul cultivator's lightning tribulation for them, supporting hundreds of people in a sect all on his own, only to realize after all that effort that the sect leader he loves has long since given her heart to someone else. In ancient times, it might mean working for the person you love, only to find that not one of the promises they made three years ago has come true. The emperor has secured his throne, and to avoid the tragic fate of being discarded once his usefulness is over, he gives up his official post and goes home to farm. But the emperor drags him back and forces him to work for free for the rest of his life. At university, it might mean helping your boyfriend from the neighboring department scrape through his finals, only to see a whole row of 59s after days of work. And while you're fretting over someone else's high failure rate, you spot your useless boyfriend sitting around doing nothing and badmouthing you behind your back. In the apocalypse, it might mean supporting an entire base by yourself while everyone behind you just cheers as you fight the zombies. It's fine. If you're supporting the boyfriend you truly love, taking care of everyone else as well isn't so bad. Wait, what? Your true love only likes you because you're strong, and all he cares about is using you? Every world has its own suckers. One sucker after another, and there are so many of them. First story: A senior disciple bearing the grudge of his sect's destruction, the gong, x a beautiful shou who can never behave himself Second story: A transmigrated scholar with a devious mind who works for love, the gong, x an emperor shou who keeps taking unexpected turns on the path to becoming a villain Third story: A warm-on-the-outside, cold-on-the-inside popular heartthrob, the gong, x a sharp-tongued, stone-faced shou whom everyone dislikes Fourth story: A sweet, foolish young master with more money than sense, the gong, x a scheming, selfish shou A collection of standalone stories Here's a plug for my upcoming story, After Being Matched with My Nemesis In Jing Xuchuan's fifth year teaching at the Tower, his nemesis returned from the front lines. The good news was that his nemesis's mental energy was unstable, and without a Guide to regulate it, he would turn into an idiot. The bad news was that, in recognition of his accomplishments on the front lines, the Tower had matched him with a partner. And that partner was Jing Xuchuan. Jing Xuchuan had no way to refuse. On his wedding day, he saw his long-unseen nemesis again. The man was still like a drawn sword, all sharp edges and vigor, with none of the wretchedness of someone suffering from unstable mental energy. Jing Xuchuan felt a little disappointed. As his nemesis, he hadn't gotten to see the sight he'd been hoping for. But it was all right. That night, he got his wish. Bound by tendrils of mental energy, the Sentinel was like a rabid dog, his eyes full of fervent longing. Jing Xuchuan remained unmoved. He merely adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and chuckled. "Qi Shao, it's been years. You look even better than before." Later. Jing Xuchuan happened to come across a report. His compatibility with Qi Shao wasn't the highest. But the Sentinel had chosen him as his match. A Sentinel and Guide marriage-first, love-later story, with nemeses who fall in love while fighting each other. An elegant scoundrel Guide gong x a doglike, deranged Sentinel shou Theme: Give sincerity, and receive sincerity in return