The Year I Mistook a Tycoon for a Stand-In

You have someone you can’t forget. But he once saved your life, and treated you like a brother he’d trust with his life. You can’t have him. You can’t have him. Desire sweeps you away. You want to touch him, but you also want to pull your hand back. So you decide to find a substitute. Zhou Zhun stared blankly and pointed at the so-called “one who got away.” “...Seriously, who the hell would have a crush on him? I saw him eating shit when he was three. How could I possibly be into this guy?” Fake “one who got away”: “Zhou Zhun, you’re asking to die, ” The System finally caught on, its eyes full of despair. “Wait, that’s not how the script goes at all??” “...Anyway, long story short, you’ll pick the protagonist shou as your substitute, pursue him, toy with him, then dump him. Finally, you’ll be drowned in a lake by the rich and powerful protagonist gong! The one who got away will have his leg broken trying to save you.” Upon hearing the bad news, the one who got away burst into tears and clung to Zhou Zhun’s leg. “Dad, I don’t wanna break my leg!” “Don’t worry. As long as you complete the task of dumping the protagonist shou, you can avoid that ending.” Three little pigs can come up with a good plan if they put their heads together. The two of them rolled up their sleeves and quickly launched their great escape plan. System: Pursue him! The one who got away: “I did my research. Gay guys like it sexy, so when you meet him for the first time, put on some cologne, undo two buttons on your shirt, and bend over if you have to, so he can see part of your pecs.” Zhou Zhun smiled without warmth. “Heh. Want me to get a piercing while I’m at it?” The one who got away: “Great idea!” Zhou Zhun: “...Guards, drag him away!” System: Toy with him! The one who got away: “I did my research. Gay guys really like this kind of thing. Here, a red rope for you. Here, some ankle cuffs for you. And here, ” Zhou Zhun stared blankly. “Who’s supposed to wear this?” The one who got away’s eyes darted around. “With a body like yours, you could wear it yourself, if you wanted!” Zhou Zhun: “Guards, break both his legs!” System: Dump him! The one who got away: “I did my research. Gay guys are really open-minded and fall for someone new all the time. Even if the protagonist shou gets hurt by you, the big shot will soon heal his pain. So don’t feel guilty. Dump him without mercy!” Zhou Zhun: “...” The one who got away: “But he’s so pitiful. Before you dump him, why not give him a goodbye kiss?” Zhou Zhun: “Guards, ” The one who got away grabbed his hand. “No need. I’ll get out of here on my own.” Though the little dude, the System, and Zhou Zhun himself were all pretty unreliable, their plan unexpectedly went smoothly. They sailed toward the finish line, reaching the final task with “effortless” ease. Until Until the very end. The plans they’d made and the countless pieces of intelligence they’d gathered... all became piles of files on the man’s desk. They’d mistaken the wrong person for their target, and seduced the wrong person too. This was the protagonist gong! When the truth came out, Zhou Zhun packed his bags and tried to sneak out over the wall in the middle of the night, only to find his way blocked. The powerful man pinched his chin, his gaze dark. “...So what am I to you, exactly?” Zhou Zhun stopped in his tracks and cursed under his breath. Before he could finish, the man tossed him onto the bed. Bonus scene: Huo Yunshen: “Don’t worry. I won’t forgive you.” Zhou Zhun: “Then how about we start over?” Huo Yunshen: “...Get married.” *Reader advisory* 1. One-on-one. Pain-loving, spicy gong × truly scheming, powerful shou. 2. A sweet, angsty push-and-pull romance. The emotional intensity ramps way up later. Theme: In the whirlpool, I held tightly to your hand