After Failing to Tame the Wolf

A seemingly laid-back but devious transmigrator-into-a-book mad dog gong x a seemingly patient but secretly ruthless reborn beauty shou Yan Fang transmigrates into a book as a cowardly supporting character. The first time he meets Shen Xuanzhang, the story's beautiful, powerful, and tragic protagonist, Yan Fang thinks he looks like a vicious wolf. Shen Xuanzhang hates him with all his heart, but because of his low status, he can only put on a patient, gentle front around him. What Shen Xuanzhang doesn't know is that Yan Fang, who seems utterly spineless, is a mad dog too. Yan Fang advances step by step. On the surface, he risks his life for the wolf, playing his part and acting as if he's completely smitten. In reality, he makes secret moves of his own and uses Shen Xuanzhang just as Shen Xuanzhang uses him. Then, one time, Yan Fang gets trapped in a deadly situation while saving Shen Xuanzhang. After narrowly escaping death in battle and returning, he discovers that Shen Xuanzhang hasn't slept for three whole days. His face is haggard and his eyes are bruised with exhaustion. Like a madman, he keeps searching through piles of rotting, stinking corpses for Yan Fang's body, again and again... Yan Fang, completely out of the loop: ...What is this lunatic doing? He looks like he wants to drag me out and whip my corpse. Should I have stayed dead? Shen Xuanzhang loses his family at a young age, is forced to live under another's roof, and is later manipulated and used. His meridians are shattered, and he dies on a snowy night when no one comes to his aid. Reborn one day, his hatred undiminished, he vows to kill everyone who wronged him in his past life. While lying low in Wujian City, the Ninth Young Master of the Wei family, a naturally timid boy from his memories, reaches out to him when he is at his lowest. He uses the other man and tests him in every way, but when that man truly puts himself in mortal danger for his sake, it feels as if a piece of Shen Xuanzhang's heart has been dug out. So he uses every trick at his disposal to ensnare the person he has regained on a soft couch. He puts on a false front and plays along, hoping that fake affection will make him submit. But as they continue the game, he gets burned by his own scheme, and both body and heart go up in flames. Shen, ruthless, Xuanzhang: "You slept with me, so you're mine. For the rest of this life, you can only be bound to me. We'll live and die together." Reading guide: 1. Both leads have dark sides. Sometimes they're normal, sometimes they're vicious. 2. The story is told from the gong's perspective because the main plot revolves around him. The shou falls first, and the story also includes the shou's perspective. 3. Warning: There are many supporting characters. Most have multiple sides, and people aren't simply good or evil. 4. Extensive worldbuilding. The pacing is slow, and the plot and romance are interwoven. Don't ask, the author really loves writing this way. 5. The gong uses the shou at first, but that doesn't stop him from treating him well all along. The shou also uses the gong at first, then comes to love him and becomes a walking jar of possessive jealousy. I find both of them adorable and don't favor either one. 6. The romantic tension will probably last a long time (?) because the author loves writing drawn-out, clingy flirtation. 7. Read the stories you like, and love the people beside you who have stayed. PS: To those who've read my older work: if you didn't like Xiao Xu, you probably won't like Xiao Shen in this story either. Shen and Xu are more or less equally unhinged. I especially love beautiful shous who are powerful, tragic, ruthless, and fierce, so if that's not your thing, please stop here. You'll only like it less as you read on. Enjoying a story is what matters most, so don't make yourself miserable~ Theme: An inch of time is worth an inch of gold, but an inch of gold can't buy an inch of time.