The Entire Esports Scene Thinks I'm a Substitute [Esports]

[Upcoming novel: A Clichéd Angsty Romance Ends in a Cremation Ground. Blurb below.]

[Dominant, secretly lovesick top x sunny, cheerful gaming-obsessed bottom]

[Fake replacement trope, fake rivals-to-lovers trope]

Two years ago, General, the FMVP player who had dominated the KPL, died in a car accident.

Two years later, reborn Qin Zhiyu stands outside his former team's base, hoping to make a fresh start.

The new boss carefully studies his face, then nods. "You can stay. We'll put you in the room next to mine."

Qin Zhiyu, who just wants to play games: "?"

It's an open secret among the Mars team that their boss and starting jungler is General's biggest fan.

When Qin Zhiyu, whose mannerisms and habits are just like General's, suddenly joins Mars, they all come to the same conclusion:

"Is our boss treating our new teammate as a replacement?"

Shi Shen watches Qin Zhiyu smile at him as brightly as the sun every day, and a strange thought occurs to him.

He never really treated Qin Zhiyu as a replacement, but could Qin Zhiyu actually like him?

So he starts paying attention to everything Qin Zhiyu does. The more he watches, the more familiar he seems, until Shi Shen can't hold back when Qin Zhiyu lays flowers in front of his idol's tombstone.

Shi Shen pins Qin Zhiyu down, his heart pounding uneasily. His gaze is sharp as a sword as he demands in a cold voice, "Did you have a relationship with General?"

Qin Zhiyu, who thinks his identity has been exposed: "???"

[Reading Guide

1. The game is Honor of Kings. You can still enjoy the story even if you haven't played it.

2. The first half focuses more on the relationship, while the second half focuses more on the competitions. Some parts of the tournament format are based on real leagues, and some are original.

3. No real-life inspirations. Please don't read real people into the characters.

4. The author's gaming skills are limited, so there may be inaccuracies or implausible details. Readers looking for strict accuracy should proceed with caution.]

Here's an upcoming novel: A Clichéd Angsty Romance Ends in a Cremation Ground

[Sweet-talking, beautiful, spoiled top x devoted, wooden, straight bottom]

At thirty, Song Cang gets dumped by his girlfriend of three years. They'd held hands, hugged, and kissed, but broke up before they could go all the way.

Furious, he goes to a bar to get drunk and has a chance encounter with a tall, fiery woman.

After they agree to go to a hotel, the low, muffled groan that escapes her lips sobers Song Cang up considerably.

The man in women's clothing grabs his chin. Even more beautiful than his girlfriend, he speaks in a flippant tone, his gaze full of implication:

"So what if I'm a man? Uncle, you've never tried a man before, so how do you know it won't work?"

Alcohol clouds Song Cang's mind. He tries it, then throws up all the alcohol he's drunk.

-

Later, Song Cang learns that the man he had a one-night stand with is the only son of the Shen family, who can pull strings throughout the entire city of Nancheng. They were born into two different worlds.

The pampered Shen family's only son has never pursued anyone before. He goes after Song Cang with such ferocity that it seems he might break his head open, and Song Cang gradually falls for his advances.

Later, Song Cang's long-absent girlfriend comes over, her eyes full of contempt. "You haven't actually fallen in love with him, have you? I'll tell you the truth: he made me break up with you. You're just a plaything to rich kids like them."

Song Cang's mind goes blank. Only then does he realize that everything that happened to him was part of Shen Mangxi's long-planned scheme.

Old-school, clichéd, angsty scum romance, younger top turns straight man gay, then gets his comeuppance/author indulges in writing what they love/happy ending

Theme: Esports is all about passion