The Hero Caught in a Love Triangle Is Bored Again Today

Promoting my upcoming column novel, The Little Widower Omega Is Still Being Coveted Today. Here is the preview: Lin Lizhi is an omega, and an unlucky one at that: his husband died right after they got married, and his heat is just around the corner. As a poor thing whose pheromones are already problematic and who can't tough out a heat with suppressants, he has three options before him: Option One: His late husband's younger brother, a high-quality college guy and an adorable younger puppy. The downside is that he seems to have the wrong idea about Lin Lizhi and keeps accusing him of being a flirt. Option Two: His adoptive older brother, refined and abstinent, elegant and noble. The downside is that he seems a little germophobic and doesn't like Lin Lizhi getting too close. Option Three: His late husband's sworn enemy, handsome and well-built. The downside is his special status, and his apparent desire to get close to Lin Lizhi just to avenge his late husband. * Following the principle of choosing whoever is closest, before his first heat, Lin Lizhi cautiously tugged at his brother-in-law's sleeve and asked if he could give him a temporary mark. His brother-in-law blushed and scolded him for having no shame, firmly rejecting the suggestion. Then he downed a whole case of liquor and sneaked into Lin Lizhi's room that night. The young man had no idea how to control his bite, leaving Lin Lizhi's gland red and swollen. Lin Lizhi was already prone to crying uncontrollably, and the pain kept him in tears all night, soaking his pillow. He cried even harder than he had on the day his husband died. * As his second heat approached, Lin Lizhi decisively abandoned his brother-in-law and fled home, throwing himself into his adoptive brother's arms in the hope that the other man would soothe him with nothing but pheromones. His adoptive brother agreed as he looked at Lin Lizhi's still-swollen gland, but before Lin Lizhi could celebrate, he calmly explained that he was germophobic and didn't want Lin Lizhi accidentally touching him during the process. That night, Lin Lizhi rashly offered to have his hands and feet tied up in a desperate attempt to get help, and paid the price. No matter how the other man ignored their agreement and manhandled him, Lin Lizhi couldn't fight back in the slightest. Before his tears could even fall, they were licked away one by one. * Lin Lizhi fled home as if running for his life. Before his third heat, he tried to lay down three rules with his late husband's sworn enemy, with each getting what they needed. The sworn enemy looked at the ignorant little lamb who had jumped straight into the wolf's jaws and smiled. Then he gave Lin Lizhi a vivid demonstration of what shamelessness meant. The sworn enemy had promised to be gentle during Lin Lizhi's heat and never go against his wishes. Not only did he fail to keep any of his promises, he bit down fiercely on Lin Lizhi's gland and demanded to know whether Lin Lizhi liked his pheromones or his late husband's better. * When his fourth heat arrived, Lin Lizhi didn't dare choose any of them. But the three men came looking for him anyway, drawn by the scent of his pheromones. The three stared each other down and started fighting, each convinced that he was the one who could make Lin Lizhi feel best, and that only he should help Lin Lizhi through his heat. Curled up in a ball, Lin Lizhi: ...Could you have a little self-awareness, please? QAQ * Novel blurb: Ian has a personality that can't stand getting involved in troublesome matters, yet somehow he has a knack for getting into trouble. Whether it was getting lost and stumbling upon an elf kidnapping, going out to forage and running into a rampaging dragon, or becoming a hero and ending up with an unpredictable boss, these were all troublesome things Ian hated. After begrudgingly taking free meals at the palace for three years, the hero had finally had enough and decided to retire to his hometown, nipping all his troubles in the bud. On that day, the farewell procession stretched almost all the way to the city gates, with everyone weeping as they said goodbye to their beloved hero. The hero himself was expressionless. "Good riddance." * Who could have guessed that retirement would still be anything but peaceful? In the first month after he returned home, Annoyance No. 1 appeared: the lucky fellow he'd rescued from a monster's lair. The noble Elf King from the depths of the forest was the Life Tree's most cherished child, with the purest bloodline. He should have hated all humans equally, yet he had fallen deeply in love with the hero and declared that he wanted to share eternal life with him and become the forest's master together. Ian: Boring. In the second month after he returned home, Annoyance No. 2 came after him: the tyrant who had murdered his father to seize the throne. The king of a neighboring country and the hero's former boss was supreme, with no one daring to defy him. But after the hero beat him up several times for his foul mouth, he'd become addicted to it and evolved into a masochist. After the hero left, he finally decided to give up on his secret crush and invite him to become his queen with promises of wealth and status. Ian: Not interested. In the third month after he returned home, Annoyance No. 3 arrived: the unlucky fellow he'd rescued from a dragon. The Holy Son of Light from the church was hailed as the purest being closest to the gods. Yet the first time he saw the hero, he burst into tears. Even without a title or status, he wanted nothing more than the chance to serve at the hero's side. Ian: No need. The elf fell silent, the king gritted his teeth, and the Holy Son wept sadly. The hero, who had rejected all three in a row, began wondering whether he should move. * Moving was out of the question. Getting used to a new place would be a nuisance too. Ian stayed perfectly calm as he watched the elf cast a spell to trap the king, the king dig a pit to torment the Holy Son, and the Holy Son cry and frame the elf. The three of them were so full of schemes that none could keep up with the others. The three kept each other in check, so none of them could sneak off to see Ian without the other two finding out. Just as he was enjoying the peace and quiet, a pair of hands suddenly wrapped around his waist. A man's smug voice sounded beside the hero's ear: "Ian, Ian, can you tell me again how you picked me out of a whole pack of puppies?" Ian: ...I'd almost forgotten about Annoyance No. 0. Maybe I really should move after all. Important content warnings: 1. World-weary, cold-faced black cat bottom x narcissistic, scheming, clingy golden retriever top. There are many one-sided crushes, but this is a strictly monogamous 1v1 pairing with no switching. The order of the character descriptions doesn't indicate anything. The true top is Selvis. He can cook, and that's what matters (tsundere face). 2. The animal traits are just character motifs. They're not actually cats and dogs, so don't get the wrong idea. 3. Beautiful top, powerful bottom. Selvis really is a super-duper useless puppy, with a huge mana pool and low HP. Unfortunately, he's been banned from using mana. But that's fine: Baby Ian can take everyone down himself. He doesn't need a top stronger than him. Selvis just needs to provide emotional support. 4. This isn't suitable for readers who are extreme top fans or extreme bottom fans. It's a mutually doting romance. Just enjoy the couple being sweet together and ship them. 5. I switched to this story because I ran out of inspiration for my original idea. I hope you'll like it! [The first chapter and a half are backstory about how the hero became a hero. If you're not interested, you can skip straight to the second half of Chapter Two, where the main story begins. It won't affect your understanding much.] Theme: People have always been social creatures. Forming bonds is important.