How Could I Bear to Make Him a Substitute?

(Gentle, secretly passionate older widower gong x sharp-eyed, brilliant, flirtatious shou)

A crack of thunder, and Lu Hengzhi transmigrated into a book.

He mastered peerless martial arts and took a pitiful but exceptionally beautiful innkeeper as his wife.

Later, his wife died, and his martial arts nearly went to waste.

Another crack of thunder struck him, sending him twenty-three years into the past.

The story hadn't even begun yet. His wife was still the pampered, proud young lord of the Demon Cult...

Wait, that's not his wife.

Though technically they were the same person, Lu Hengzhi couldn't bring himself to do this, not emotionally or morally.

Lu Hengzhi transmigrated into the wuxia novel Sword Dance in the Mortal World and met Zhao Wumian, the tragic second male lead. They fell in love, but by then the original plot was nearing its end, and Zhao Wumian died just as he had in the story. After guarding his grave for many years, Lu Hengzhi transmigrated back twenty-three years, to a time before the original plot began. He met his lover as a young man, Zhao Yanxi, who had yet to change his name to Zhao Wumian. Lu Hengzhi couldn't help projecting his love and longing onto Zhao Yanxi, while also knowing clearly that they were no longer the same person.

Zhao Yanxi was drawn to the mysterious Lu Hengzhi, who had appeared out of nowhere, and sensed the affection he kept hidden in his heart. Knowing he might look a lot like the person Lu Hengzhi secretly loved, Zhao Yanxi couldn't accept it. He wanted Lu Hengzhi to keep looking only at him...

Lu Hengzhi stiffened and shut his eyes. The astonishingly gifted young man leaned even closer, lightly tracing Lu Hengzhi's lips with his fingers. With a regretful sigh, he said, "Sigh... You used to love looking at me. Why don't you open your eyes and take another look now? See if I'm the one you love. He's a lot like me, isn't he?"

The young man spoke softly, his words laced with fury. "Who did you see? If you can't tell us apart, I'll dig out those eyes of yours."

I know you're not him, but I keep losing myself even when I'm clearheaded. I know you're not looking at me, yet I'm willing to sink deeper into this. (That's not how it is!!!)

At heart, this is a sweet romance.

Now serializing: My Dao Partner Lied to Me and Got Me Killed

When Lan Rongshi suggested that they become Dao partners, Pei Qing agreed at once, overjoyed.

Even though Lan Rongshi was on the verge of death, and even though the first thing he asked Pei Qing to do after he agreed was to accompany him to his death, nothing could cool Pei Qing's feverish head.

Pei Qing thought Heaven must have taken pity on him after more than a decade of loneliness, making Lan Rongshi fall for him and propose despite being blind and muddleheaded.

Lan Rongshi had told him outright that he loved him and couldn't bear to part with him, so Pei Qing agreed without hesitation to use his own corpse to help Lan Rongshi complete the seal.

Then Lan Rongshi was dug out, returned alive, and reinforced the seal.

Pei Qing: ...

Lying in his coffin, Pei Qing consoled himself that at least Lan Rongshi had loved him once. Then he heard Lan Rongshi admit in his own voice, "I don't love him."

Pei Qing: ...

You can't bully someone like this!

Completely disillusioned with human nature, and unable to die but unwilling to leave, Pei Qing lay in his coffin pretending to be a corpse. But some irritating little thing kept making a racket in his head, insisting he go out and take revenge.

The noise drove Pei Qing crazy. He grabbed at it, and somehow split himself apart.

So Pei Qing, who had exploded into several pieces out of sheer anger, crawled out, thinking that even as a ghost, he wouldn't let Lan Rongshi get away with it.

Ever since Lan Rongshi finished building his Dao partner's tomb, he had noticed the other's ghost constantly haunting him.

Having broken his promise and tricked his Dao partner into dying, Lan Rongshi assumed it was a vengeful ghost come to claim his life. But when he finally managed to speak with his Dao partner's spirit, it turned into a lustful ghost, pestering him day and night.

Lan Rongshi was at a loss, but since he truly owed him a great deal and the seal was holding, he figured the ghost would stop once it got tired of him.

But before that happened, he saw a familiar presence in one of his disciples. The face was different, but beneath that skin was surely his Dao partner, who had died with unfinished business.

So here's the question: Who was the ghost who practiced dual cultivation with him every day?

Before he could figure out which was which, another one showed up, shouting threats and throwing himself into a kiss!

Had his Dao partner developed multiple personalities?

Curious, darlings? Visit my author page to find out!

Theme: If you have the courage to be yourself, someone will always love you.