Fu Bufu spent his whole life doing good deeds and building up merit, only to be dropped into an old-school angst novel to play the gong.
The System said it was his reward.
Fu Bufu: Nice! (Reads the script)
Script One: A reserved caged bird is forced to sign a contract with Fu Bufu, but has such poor professional conduct that he refuses to humble himself and serve his sugar daddy.
Another powerful man humiliates the caged bird: "What are you pretending for? Putting on a virtuous act?"
Fu Bufu seethes and secretly pounds the table: Despicable!
System: Yeah, how awful. The person you can't bear to lay a hand on is being insulted like this by someone else.
Fu Bufu writhes in dark delight: How did I not think of insulting him like that? Despicable, despicable! I should have been the one to insult him!
Script Two: A pampered young master, clueless about the hardships of life, falls out with his family and moves in with his poor boyfriend, spending money recklessly. So naive is he that he accidentally spends most of his boyfriend's house savings on a custom ring. His gesture is met with Fu Bufu's cold words: "Let's break up."
Not long afterward, Fu Bufu sees the young master again, now bankrupt. He has become much more composed, yet still wears the ring. With his eyes lowered, he passes Fu Bufu without a word.
Fu Bufu watches the young master's thin retreating figure and frowns. "I regret it."
System: Then why don't you go after him?
Fu Bufu beats his chest in anguish: I should have made him pay me back while his family was still rich! Oh, that money's definitely gone for good now.
Script Three: The aloof empress's father is convicted of corruption and his entire household is confiscated. The empress kneels before the Hall of Mental Cultivation, pleading desperately, tears in her eyes.
Fu Bufu: Sorry, but the law is the law.
The empress gazes at Fu Bufu with a sorrowful look, then says, "We were husband and wife, but our bond ends here," and draws her sword to take her own life in front of the hall.
Fu Bufu closes his eyes in pain and pinches the bridge of his nose.
System: Stop posing and hurry up and save your wife! Drop to your knees, apologize, dote on him, and spare his father. You can still get a happy ending!
Fu Bufu falls to his knees, weeping: The sword in his hand was the founding sword passed down from my great-great-great-great-grandfather! My beloved sword, my beloved sword!
System: ? It's over. Heaven is out to destroy our Pure Love Department.
Someone suggests: If you don't want to be the male lead's gong, then don't be! Let the second male lead take his place!
The second male lead approaches the caged bird / young master / empress, spreads his hands, and taunts: If you're bad at it, practice more.
The good news: The second male lead takes the top spot.
The bad news: The one who gets kicked out is the protagonist shou.
Theme: I am my own
