A Misplaced Variation

1. Yu Xiu had stayed by the side of Qiao Ruoye, the young master of the Qiao family, for over a year without a title or status. Even now, when Qiao Ruoye's friends brought him up, they called him “that pretty little plaything by Young Master Qiao's side.” He knew Qiao Ruoye didn't care about him. But his family was in dire straits, he was good for nothing, and Qiao Ruoye had paid off all his debts back then. He didn't dare ask for anything. He sat by the window, looking at the news on his phone, exposed by the paparazzi. In a photo taken from an awkward angle, Qiao Ruoye sat across from a popular male star at a restaurant, smiling and chatting. He watched car after car drive past outside, wondering what time Qiao Ruoye would come home that night. He hadn't waited long when he saw Mr. Qiao's car pull up downstairs. The man who'd just been photographed by the paparazzi hurried over to him and yanked him away from the window into his arms. “What are you doing? Don't do anything rash…” Yu Xiu: “...?” 2. The person Qiao Ruoye had wronged most in his life was Yu Xiu. He had carelessly trampled on Yu Xiu's love until Yu Xiu lost hope and resolutely left him. Only then did he realize that he was the one who couldn't live without the other. He desperately begged Yu Xiu to come back, but Yu Xiu only ran farther away. In a moment of obsession, he forcibly kept Yu Xiu by his side. But all he could do was watch the light in Yu Xiu's eyes slowly go out, until Yu Xiu stood on a rooftop and said to him, “I'm finally going to be free.” He rushed forward to stop Yu Xiu. As they struggled, he pushed Yu Xiu back, but fell from the high-rise himself. But he didn't die. When he opened his eyes again, he found that he had traveled back to the night Yu Xiu mistook his meeting with a popular star for a date. That night, Yu Xiu hadn't yet lost faith in him or been hurt by him, one wound at a time. He immediately set aside the contract he was negotiating, stood up, and said, “You can discuss the matter with my assistant at the company.” “Mr. Qiao, ” “My wife is waiting for me at home.” “...?” *A bittersweet, ridiculous, melodramatic story. A short-to-medium-length romance focused on the push and pull between two people. First love for both. *The plot is pretty melodramatic, with lots of misunderstandings. If that's not your thing, please read with caution. *There are countless good stories, and everyone has their own taste. If this isn't for you, feel free to click away. Please be polite and treat one another with respect. Let's keep things friendly and harmonious. Coming soon: *Reignite* (The blurb is in first person; the story itself is in third person.) I'm an idiot. I transmigrated into a supporting character from a modern fantasy novel, born into a family of occult practitioners. According to the plot, I would be defeated by the protagonist and torn apart by evil spirits. Then I would be reborn at the very beginning of the story, see the error of my ways, and help the protagonist from then on, earning a happy ending. I was even lucky enough to arrive before the reborn plot began. I could use my advantage of having transmigrated into a book to avoid being reborn and go straight to being a good supporting character who helps the protagonist. I could have lived carefree and done whatever I pleased. But I let desire cloud my judgment. I fell in love with the protagonist. If I loved him, I had to have him. He was a celestial master of the occult sect. Among those who exorcised evil spirits, anyone who reached the highest levels of cultivation could form a pact with one lamplighter. A lamplighter's soul was bound to the celestial master's. When the master hunted ghosts and exorcised evil, the lamplighter could light a soul-lamp to protect the master's spirit. Celestial masters and lamplighters shared a bond of the heart and often became partners. I lacked the ability, but relied on my family's status to force him into a pact with me. Our souls were bound, and I became his only lamplighter. I took what I wanted by force. I imposed my will on him. I was vile and selfish. So when I spent all my strength keeping his soul-lamp lit, my spirit torn apart and the pain unbearable, he only looked at me coldly and scolded me for overestimating myself. I understood: I deserved it. I was wrong. Fortunately, I had another chance to be reborn. Following the plot, I let go of his hand in front of him and plunged without hesitation into the abyss, where evil energy surged toward the sky. I set him free. I gave him what he wanted. I died a terrible death. The only thing I saw was his bloodshot eyes. He must have been crying with joy. - I really was reborn. This time, he could be the brilliant pride of heaven, and I could be an ordinary supporting character who knew his place. Everything would return to normal, and both of us would be happy. I thought we would have nothing to do with each other again. But he kept bothering me, always acting as if he was afraid I'd kill myself. I didn't understand what was wrong with him, and I couldn't be bothered to figure it out. I thought that in this life, we'd surely go our separate ways. Until I accidentally lit a lamp to protect his soul. Only a lamplighter who had made a pact with a celestial master's spirit could do that. I was so terrified I nearly lost my soul. How could this happen? In this life, I hadn't made a lamp pact with him. *Both leads are reborn. One-on-one, happy ending. *The little scenes and interactions in the blurb are there to show off the premise; they may not appear in the actual story. *The blurb may be revised before the story begins. Theme: Cherish the past and treat the future kindly.