Why Does Everyone Keep Jumping into My Lake?

Yan Lingqing is a water ghost, lurking beneath the lake by day and emerging by night.

One day, he learns that the world he lives in is a novel about a scum gong’s desperate redemption of his beloved.

In the novel, the protagonist shou loves the protagonist gong deeply, but his love goes unreturned. After enduring heartbreak and misery, he decides to jump into a lake and end his life, nearly dying in the process.

The protagonist gong finally comes to his senses. In a bid to win back the protagonist shou’s love, he jumps into the same lake where the protagonist shou had jumped, and nearly dies too.

Yan Lingqing is neither the protagonist shou nor the protagonist gong. He’s just the water ghost in the lake they jumped into.

The protagonists are blessed with immense fortune. If he pulls them out of the water, he can earn merit and become a ghost immortal.

Yan Lingqing is thrilled. He stakes out a good spot early, just waiting for the protagonist gong and shou to jump in.

At last, on a bleak, moonless night, there’s a splash. Someone sinks into the water, struggling. Yan Lingqing hurriedly pulls him out and takes a look: handsome and distinguished, with eyes deep as water.

Yes, this must be the protagonist shou.

A while later, he pulls another person out. Then, a little while after that, he pulls out yet another. As he keeps hauling people out, he realizes something’s wrong. Hasn’t he pulled out too many?

Why do people keep jumping into his lake?

Which ones are the protagonist gong and shou?

He only wants to earn merit, not work as a waterborne porter!

*

Jiang Zhuozhou’s parents are both dead, and he was injured in a car accident, leaving him dependent on a wheelchair. Someone trying to seize his wealth pushes him to the lakeside, hoping to make it look as if he accidentally fell in and drowned.

As he sinks into the icy water, Jiang Zhuozhou thinks he’s bound to die, but a young man saves him.

The young man is so beautiful he hardly seems real. He carries Jiang Zhuozhou to shore, then gazes at him with shining, ink-black eyes and says expectantly, "Make sure you stay alive. You’re welcome back anytime." (Note: This does not mean he wants him to jump into the lake again. There’s another reason.)

Jiang Zhuozhou knows the young man really isn’t human. He’s a water ghost.

For the first time, Jiang Zhuozhou learns that water ghosts don’t seek someone to take their place in death. Instead, they save people and tell them to come back another time.

Jiang Zhuozhou is bewitched. Later, he really does return to the lake, talking with the ghost and asking him for advice. His gloomy, violent heart grows peaceful, and the little water ghost’s image gradually settles in his heart.

Some time later, Jiang Zhuozhou is busy dealing with things and can only occasionally spare a moment to look at the little ghost in the lake through binoculars from the top floor of his villa.

One day, he sees the little ghost rescue a man. He doesn’t think much of it, assuming the man fell in by accident. But there’s a second rescue after the first, and a second person after the first.

The little ghost doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with this at all. He just keeps diligently hauling people out!

Jiang Zhuozhou can’t sit still. He pulls the little water ghost out of the lake, grabs him by the chin, and tells him, "You’re not allowed to rescue anyone else." There’s no end to it!

Yan Lingqing: "?"

What about his merit? Has he managed to rescue the protagonist gong and shou yet?

*

Note:

1. Bolded in the original: [The characters in this story jump into the lake for other reasons, not because they intend to take their own lives. Please cherish life and embrace living. These are dangerous actions. Do not imitate them!]

2. The setting is entirely fictional, and this is my take on the supernatural genre. Everything is in service of the plot.

[2023.07.16]

-- Please save my new novel, Hello Everyone, I'm a Good Person! --

[Fake social butterfly, real hunter, aloof shou x devoted, shameless young master gong]

Everyone says Cheng Ning is a social butterfly, able to get along with anyone and skilled at working people.

Today he’s carousing and bonding like a brother with the Zhou family’s young master. Tomorrow he’ll be the Shen family’s eldest young master’s most trusted ally. The day after, he’ll be kindred spirits with the He family’s young master.

Maybe he’s just too good at his job, because the young masters bare their hearts to him.

Young Master Zhou says sharing a woman with him is the sincerest proof of their friendship.

The Shen family’s eldest young master wants him to become his lover, promising him a share of the family business someday.

Young Master He even whispers to him about the secret lab where he conducts human experiments.

Cheng Ning: "?"

Cheng Ning pretends to be the ideal person they want, but not for any of that.

He wants certain people to pay.

He still handles everything with ease, while secretly taking them out one by one.

One mishap after another plagues the Zhou family. Young Master Zhou, who offered to share a woman, is the first to be cast aside by his family, and his fate is miserable.

Power slips from the Shen family’s grasp, and the eldest young master, who promised Cheng Ning a share of the family business, is stripped of his inheritance rights.

Young Master He’s murder is exposed, and he’s thrown in prison.

Yikes, what a bad omen.

Now, who could fail to see that Cheng Ning isn’t a harmless, refined social butterfly, but a ravenous wolf who devours flesh and blood?

None of the prey caught in his web can escape.

The Shen family’s eldest young master is out of the picture, and the second young master, Shen Changye, now holds all the power. He and Cheng Ning have never gotten along. Whenever they meet, the air is thick with tension. It looks like there’s another tough battle ahead.

The only question is who will win and who will lose.

That day, Cheng Ning stood beneath the lights at a banquet and said to the person approaching him, "Congratulations, Shen Changye."

The words could have been mockery or provocation. The people around them fell silent with fear.

As everyone watched in silence, Shen Changye took the initiative to clink glasses with Cheng Ning, then stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

Everyone: "?" Something seemed off.

*

Alone together in a room, Shen Changye pushes Cheng Ning onto the bed. Cheng Ning, who is usually all smiles, is expressionless and indifferent.

"You devoured all the prey that got caught in your web. What about me? What are you going to do to me?"

Cheng Ning looks up at him without a word. "You? I devoured you a long time ago."

Shen Changye’s gaze suddenly darkens. He grips Cheng Ning’s chin and kisses him deeply.

Theme: Stay positive, do good deeds, and good fortune will follow.