He Said I Was Just a Substitute

[A carefree playboy turned devoted loyal-dog gong × a cold-faced, cold-hearted, flirt-and-run teasing shou]

[Yan Helang × Meng Siqing]

Meng Siqing was born the kind of "someone else's child" everyone admired: handsome, refined, and an excellent student.

Although Yan Helang had never met Meng Siqing in person, he had heard plenty about him. Yan Helang was the "spoiled rich kid" who had always lived in Meng Siqing's shadow of excellence.

He ranked first in the school, and Meng Siqing ranked first too, with an even higher score.

He won a district-level honor for outstanding students, while Meng Siqing won one at the city level.

Yan Helang's hobbies were a waste of time, while Meng Siqing excelled at everything.

So Yan Helang loathed Meng Siqing.

Then, during a dormitory reassignment at university, Yan Helang met Meng Siqing for the first time.

Meng Siqing really was as dazzling as the rumors claimed, so beautiful that Yan Helang couldn't look away. Without thinking, Yan Helang blurted out, "So beautiful." After all, that face looked so much like the person he'd kept hidden in his heart for years.

Before Yan Helang could make a move, Meng Siqing began appearing in his life again and again. He gave him perfume and matching rings, gave him an exclusive pet name, and even offered to wear women's clothes to cheer him up. He was practically head over heels for him.

Their friends teased Yan Helang, saying he had fallen in love.

Yan Helang scoffed and sneered, "Meng Siqing is just a substitute. Since he came to me on his own, I'll play with him for a while, then toss him aside when I'm bored."

His former rival was now humble and devoted to him. Who could turn down such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

Yan Helang never imagined that Meng Siqing's many gestures would eventually move him, and that he would fall in love with him.

When he had prepared a grand confession, Meng Siqing appeared with his arm linked through that of a man who resembled Yan Helang in certain ways.

When Yan Helang demanded an explanation, Meng Siqing's beautiful eyes were calm as still water. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he said, "Yan Helang, you said I was just a substitute. So are you."

Later, the crazed Yan Helang locked Meng Siqing up and covered his eyes with a black cloth.

Unable to see Yan Helang's face, Meng Siqing could only hear him pleading through tears in the voice he loved.

"Siqing, you said I was just a substitute. If you only approached me because my voice sounded like his, then I'll learn to speak the way he does. Please don't leave me!"

A university campus novel. There may be a little business rivalry later on (?). One-on-one, happy ending.

Content warnings and notes: 1. Both leads are substitutes, but there's a misunderstanding along the way. They only have eyes for each other.

2. The gong uses the shou's face as a substitute; the shou uses the gong's voice as a substitute.

3. There will be a crematorium arc later.

Theme: Discovering the most sincere love