The Villainous Senior Brother Won't Play Along

CP: Stubborn, proud playboy bottom * aloof, otherworldly beauty top

Synopsis: He Zhiqiu knew he was a thoroughly despicable person, but Lin Shu was different.

Lin Shu was an immortal seated high upon a lotus throne, cold by nature and revered by all.

He Zhiqiu fell for Lin Shu at first sight. After pursuing him in every way imaginable, he finally persuaded Lin Shu to take him as a disciple.

He knew Lin Shu cultivated the Heartless Way and would never fall for anyone. So he hid his feelings and did everything he could not to bring Lin Shu shame.

He knew Lin Shu disliked his playboy ways, so he put aside all his malicious schemes and did his best to seem innocent in front of him.

Since Lin Shu had only one disciple, even if they could never be together, He Zhiqiu was still the most special person in his life.

Until one day.

With an impassive expression, Lin Shu returned with a young boy about He Zhiqiu's age.

*

Lin Shu's new disciple, Song Shi, was born clever and exceptionally talented. He easily solved a maze formation that He Zhiqiu had studied for years without figuring out.

As fellow disciples of Lin Shu, He Zhiqiu paled beside Song Shi and became everyone's laughingstock.

Little by little, everyone praised Song Shi as Lin Shu's fine disciple, and no one mentioned He Zhiqiu anymore.

Later, He Zhiqiu was trapped and died in a small secret realm on the very day Lin Shu held a ceremony to welcome Song Shi as his disciple.

Only after his death did He Zhiqiu discover that the world he lived in was nothing more than a melodramatic cultivation novel.

Song Shi was the novel's protagonist, the beloved one. Lin Shu would become obsessed with him, abandon the Heartless Way he had cultivated for years, and eventually join the harem surrounding Song Shi, the protagonist.

He Zhiqiu, meanwhile, was the novel's cannon-fodder villain, whose every action served to highlight the protagonist's intelligence and kindness.

As He Zhiqiu watched the scenes depicted in the book, he thought: At last, he was tired of it all.

*

He Zhiqiu suddenly opened his eyes.

He was reborn, back on the day of the disciple ceremony.

He looked at the honored master seated steadily upon the lotus throne, his expression cold. Back then, he had looked up at his master just like this and reached out to Lin Shu.

Now, he turned away without hesitation and reached toward someone else. "This disciple pays respects to Master."

In this life, he wouldn't play along anymore.

*

After a century of cultivating the Dao, Lin Shu emerged from seclusion. He had no desire to concern himself with worldly affairs, but a playboy had attached himself to him, leaving him with an unfinished bond.

He had planned to settle that ill-fated connection and devote himself to cultivation. He never expected the playboy to choose someone else at the disciple ceremony.

That was fine, too.

Later, when the sect leader said Lin Shu should take a disciple named Song Shi, Lin Shu thought it was all right.

He had no disciples. It was time he took one.

That was what Lin Shu thought. But when he faced his disciple, dressed in blue and looking flustered, he couldn't shake the feeling that his disciple shouldn't look like this.

His disciple should be a slender boy with lively features, as sly as a fox, who loved gold ornaments and red clothes, and liked dangling his bare feet in streams. He should have black hair and dark eyes.

His disciple.

In the final memory, black hair lay scattered in the mud, red clothes soaked in the water, and the boy lay lifeless. Lin Shu reached out, but could only touch a blood-soaked corner of his robe.

This was his disciple.

His He... Zhi... Qiu...

[Task No. 1374 failed. Reason for failure: The main character has deviated from expected behavior again. Repair in progress.]

[Repair failed. Beginning rollback. This is attempt No. 1375.]

[Rollback No. 1375 failed.]

[Worldline deviation cannot be repaired. The protagonist has strayed from the predetermined path, ]

[Danger! Danger! Protagonist collapse imminent. Danger! Host, leave immediately!]

Core theme: Strive forward and make every day healthy and positive.