My Love Rival Is Actually Me

When Jian Xinchou was nineteen, the Jian family arranged for him to have a male wife.

His wife, Pei Lingchu, was beautiful, sweet-tempered, gentle, and proper. He spoke little and did a lot, keeping the household in perfect order. He was the kind of wonderful spouse people would envy if they heard about him.

Jian Xinchou didn't love Pei Lingchu. He had only agreed to the arrangement because he couldn't defy the power of his family.

Yet when faced with Jian Xinchou's coldness, Pei Lingchu simply remained obedient and silent. He never overstepped, and carefully carried out his duties.

Someone as dutiful as him was easy to control and would never betray you, no matter what.

Until one night, Jian Xinchou came home late and found the bedroom door ajar. Through the gap, he saw his legal spouse kissing another man.

Pei Lingchu's skin was flushed from desire, and his deep eyes brimmed with involuntary tears, making him look even more beautiful than usual.

Jian Xinchou swallowed hard. A scorching sensation spread through his body, trapping him in a strange, intoxicating pleasure. Before he could figure out what was happening, the man with his back to him turned around.

That man had the exact same face as him.

-

The man was named Qiu Shi. He proposed that they sign a contract.

According to the contract, Jian Xinchou could continue being the powerful young master of the Jian family while out in the world, while Qiu Shi would stay with the Jian family and deceive the entire clan for him, including fulfilling his marital duties with Pei Lingchu.

Jian Xinchou agreed.

From then on, almost every time he came home to the place he shared with Pei Lingchu, he could hear the sounds coming from Pei Lingchu's room. His emotions shifted from calm indifference to sleepless nights.

Because he discovered that every sensation Qiu Shi felt while with Pei Lingchu was transmitted to him, unchanged.

Jian Xinchou grew increasingly repulsed by Qiu Shi's existence. He wanted Qiu Shi to disappear from this world completely.

Later, he stumbled into Qiu Shi's forbidden room and saw a long-haired man lying on the bed, his body covered in tubes.

On closer inspection, the man had Pei Lingchu's face.

-

"I thought you came to love me, but it turns out you came to kill me."

"You are Pei Lingchu, but not my Pei Lingchu."

PS: The last two lines are spoken by Xiao Pei and Qiu Shi.

Both the gong and shou have a bit of a mad streak, especially the gong. Their characters are flawed.

Short-tempered, prickly, obsessive gong x cool, gentle, seductive shou

Angst and sweetness / melodrama / marriage before love / bittersweet and delicious / a mountain of personal worldbuilding

Jian Xinchou and Qiu Shi are the same person (emphasizing this three times)

The blurb may be revised if it doesn't read well, but the general plot won't change.

This story really hits my personal tastes, and I really want to indulge myself, so I'll finish it no matter what. If it's not for you, feel free to move on~

Cover background image courtesy of a bs gugu.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to stay or go.

Theme: Be brave and seize everything in the present.