It's Hard Not to Break Character as a Villain

Qiao Han transmigrates into a cultivation novel as a cannon-fodder villain. He takes someone else's place in an arranged marriage and becomes the cultivation partner of the male lead, Xiao Jiuci, only to kick him when he's down and cruelly abandon him. Xiao Jiuci is handsome and refined, with extraordinary talent. The brightest rising star of the immortal sects, he falls from grace overnight and becomes a target of everyone's scorn. He endures countless hardships and claws his way back to the top, never wavering from the gentle, steadfast character he's maintained from beginning to end. Qiao Han can't stand to see such a good person suffer. Faced with the number-one male lead in his heart, Qiao Han decides to fight the System's assigned character and change the plot. His goal: Help the beautiful, strong, tragic male lead become an overpowered hero! System: Warning! Warning! Severe warning! You are a villainous cannon-fodder character. Complete your mission. Qiao Han: Come on, he's my idol! How can I let my idol suffer? Good fortune, beauties, rare treasures... They're his, all his! Others: Qiao Han, you're sucking up to him so shamelessly. You're obviously using him to climb the social ladder. Xiao Jiuci: He's my partner in name, after all. Others: Qiao Han, maybe he likes you. Xiao Jiuci: He said he doesn't like men. He thinks of me as a brother. Others: Qiao Han, look at how he's acting. He must be deeply in love with you. Xiao Jiuci: ...Then why does he want to break off our engagement? Before long, people begin to question Qiao Han's identity. Others: He's acting guilty! Xiao Jiuci: He's only trying to hide his feelings for me. Others: There's something wrong with him! Xiao Jiuci: He's jealous and throwing a tantrum. He's putting on a show to make me respond. Others: He's up to no good with you! Xiao Jiuci: ...Well, if he is, it's not as if I'm going to stop him... Others: ...Could you rein in that lovesick brain of yours? At last, the crucial scene arrives. At the edge of a cliff, Xiao Jiuci must choose between two people. Qiao Han plays the villain and takes the two women most important to Xiao Jiuci hostage. In the original story, this is where the stakes rise and the hero powers up. But Qiao Han, his idol's devoted fan, would never let him suffer. Qiao Han, with his face covered: “You can only choose one.” Xiao Jiuci's expression darkens. He loses his usual gentleness, and Qiao Han knows him well enough to realize he's genuinely angry. Qiao Han: “Heh heh, you can choose both, too, as long as you give me...” “Either one. I don't care.” “Huh?” The two women playing along: ??? “Whatever you want, your senior brother will give you. Don't stand so close to the edge. It's dangerous.” Xiao Jiuci's gaze settles on Qiao Han's hands resting on the women's shoulders. His voice is low and hoarse, like a sword just beginning to slide from its scabbard. “Come over here, to me.” Seeing the stormy look in his senior brother's eyes, Qiao Han instinctively shivers. “Oh.” He obediently walks over. The two women waiting for their part in the plot: We quit! You two are disgusting! Do you really need us to act out your romance? Keep your public displays of affection away from us! Wasn't this supposed to be an adventure story about an overpowered hero with beauties all over the place? Qiao Han: ??? Has my image of him been shattered? 0. Both leads are physically and emotionally devoted only to each other. One-on-one romance. 1. An entirely fictional setting! An unconventional xianxia world. Everything is in service of the plot. 2. The writing is nothing special. This is a transmigration-into-a-book story with modern slang everywhere, not proper classical fantasy. 3. They save each other. At first, the recipient is simply a devoted fan, while the pursuer falls for him by imagining things. 4. If any of the above is a deal-breaker, feel free to drop the story without telling me. Read at your own risk. There are all kinds of villains, all in service of the plot, so please don't make grand accusations or slap labels on the story. Coming soon: After Stopping My Childhood Friend from Becoming a Devoted Second Male Lead Lin Zhuxin accidentally discovers that they might be living inside a romance novel. And his best friend, Chu Mufeng, is the devoted second male lead of this world. You could call him the second male lead, but throughout the whole story he's nothing more than a hopeless simp and a backup option. He gives everything for the heroine, only to become a prop in the main couple's romantic games, suffering both inside and out. In the end, he loses his life because of the heroine, who then turns around and gets her happy ending with the male lead, using Chu Mufeng's fortune and stepping over his corpse. That ending makes Lin Zhuxin so furious he nearly faints. As far as he knows, Chu Mufeng is smart, accomplished, gentlemanly, warmhearted, levelheaded, and perfect in every way: an absolute campus heartthrob. How could he possibly turn into that kind of hopeless romantic? But fate has other plans. The world keeps producing ridiculous coincidences to push events along according to the plot, and Chu Mufeng is destined to fall for the heroine. Lin Zhuxin can't let anyone disrupt his childhood friend's bright future. He swears he'll stop him from becoming a devoted second male lead. To save Chu Mufeng, Lin Zhuxin has no choice but to take a desperate gamble before the heroine disappears from Chu Mufeng's life. He decides to pretend he likes Chu Mufeng! First, he spreads rumors and drops hints about their relationship everywhere, so the heroine will get the message and stay away from his childhood friend. Second, he steals all the heroine's scenes and grabs all of his friend's attention. They're both straight anyway. Even if it's embarrassing and it ruins their reputations, it's still better than the original ending! Lin Zhuxin is sure he can handle it, and believes Chu Mufeng won't mind. But he never expected Chu Mufeng to be the first one who couldn't take it. In more ways than one. * Chu Mufeng always thought they would be best friends for life, closer than brothers. Lately, though, he has noticed something strange about his childhood friend... Something that leaves him flustered and uneasy. Unable to resist his feelings for Lin Zhuxin, Chu Mufeng decides to break free of his inner shackles. Chu Mufeng, blushing: “How about... we give it a try?” Lin Zhuxin, stunned: “Huh? O-okay.” Before long, the heroine leaves and the crisis is over! Lin Zhuxin quietly takes credit for saving the day, then promptly returns to being Chu Mufeng's childhood friend and stops crossing the line. Lin Zhuxin: “Ha ha ha, turns out it was all in my head. We're better off as friends. Sorry I put you through all that. I know you only went along with it because you didn't want to hurt my feelings. Don't worry, it's all over now. We'll be best friends for life!” But the look in Chu Mufeng's eyes has changed. In the dorm bathroom, Chu Mufeng pins him beneath the shower and restrains his hands. Cold water runs down Chu Mufeng's face, his eyes red and his usual gentleness gone. Struggling to keep his emotions from spiraling out of control, he speaks in a coaxing yet threatening voice: “It was all in your head? How could it be? It's okay, I'll accept your feelings. But you can't just seduce me and then abandon me. Otherwise...” Lin Zhuxin: No, he really only wanted to go through fire and water for his friend, not get... Nobody told him that if you tell a lie often enough, you can end up getting dragged into it yourself!!!!! Recommended completed novels: [Transmigration into an Ancient BL Novel] I Survive by Breaking Character in the Male Lead's Hands A recipient who pretends to be devoted and follows the plot to stay alive VS a darkened emperor pursuer who bends himself straight through sheer imagination [Transmigration into a Post-Apocalyptic Novel] After Stopping the Beautiful but Tragic Male Lead from Going 404 A zombie recipient determined to stop the male lead from turning evil VS an ability king pursuer who can control everything zombies do [Transmigration into a Xianxia Novel] After Becoming a High-Risk Master, I Turned the Tables A master who tries every trick to subvert the plot but ends up falling into a trap VS a disciple who meets every condition for turning evil but never does [Transmigration and Rebirth] After the Chancellor Is Reborn, He Just Wants to Take It Easy A carefree, rakish recipient who falls for his own fantasies VS a taciturn, fiercely loyal younger-brother pursuer [Rebirth in the Palace] I Get Bold Enough to Bully My Teacher A wolfish tyrant reborn as a loyal puppy pursuer VS a beautiful, sickly teacher recipient Theme: Good people get what they deserve