In the restroom at the end of the hospital corridor, Yu Qingchuan stood facing the mirror. A full ten minutes had passed, and he still hadn't come to terms with his current appearance.
He was around 175 centimeters tall and weighed 175 jin. What a great, greasy barrel of a man.
Being fat wasn't really a problem in itself. The real issue was the bluish, birthmark-like patch on his left cheek. It was even heart-shaped.
On his big, round face, it looked ridiculous.
During those ten minutes of silent despair, everyone who came into the restroom was drawn to his appearance. Their gazes invariably traveled up to his face, and when they saw that heart-shaped mark, they always looked as though they were stifling a laugh.
Yes, Yu Qingchuan had transmigrated into a novel.
That wasn't really a big deal, either. Transmigrating into novels was so common these days, after all.
He had become a cannon-fodder villain with exactly the same name as him. That wasn't much of a problem, either. As long as he didn't court death and stayed away from the main couple, he could surely survive safely to the ending.
But he had arrived at entirely the wrong moment!
The male lead, Lu Shiming, was in Room 1012. Lying in the bed was his older brother, Lu Shiyi, the only family he had to depend on. The original owner of this body, a lustful little fatty with more nerve than sense, had actually threatened to withhold further treatment from Lu Shiming's brother, who was in a vegetative state, to force Lu Shiming into an engagement.
If Lu Shiming refused, he would have the hospital stop treating Lu Shiyi.
That's right. This private hospital belonged to the little fatty's father, and he was a spoiled, extravagant, debauched rich kid.
Ever since the little fatty had visited his father's company and met Lu Shiming, an outstanding upperclassman working there as an intern, he had fallen for him. After that, he had gone to the company every few days to see him, eventually deciding to force him into a relationship.
When Yu Qingchuan received those memories, he nearly laughed in outrage.
The moment he arrived, he had found himself staring into Lu Shiming's dark, brooding eyes. They really were striking: long and narrow, with clearly defined double eyelids, thick, long lashes, and deep sockets. His face was as flawless as a computer-generated model. Just what one would expect from a fictional world.
But the look in those eyes belonged to a cornered animal pushed to its limit, utterly desperate, with a ruthless edge that suggested he was ready to risk everything.
It had startled Yu Qingchuan so badly that he had hurriedly excused himself to the restroom and fled.
In the original novel, Lu Shiming had given in, but he had asked to hold the engagement a month later. The little fatty had bargained him down to a week. During that week, however, Lu Shiming had met the other male lead, a beautiful, idealized first-love figure who helped him escape the little fatty's clutches. He had even schemed to get the little fatty injured and hospitalized, leaving him unable to keep pestering Lu Shiming.
With the plot more or less straightened out in his head, Yu Qingchuan knew it was time to leave. He couldn't hide in the restroom forever.
Still, he had to come up with a solution. If he told Lu Shiming that, after a full ten minutes of reflection, he had realized love couldn't be forced and was therefore canceling the engagement, would Lu Shiming believe him?
But for now, that seemed to be his only option. He had no intention of getting involved in the plot.
He looked up at his reflection and subjected his eyes to another assault. Then he composed himself and trudged out.
In Room 1012, the faint smell of disinfectant kept grating on Lu Shiming's nerves. Sitting beside the bed, he looked at his older brother, whose pale face did nothing to conceal his handsome features, and seethed with resentment. He loathed Yu Qingchuan, but this hospital was the only one that could keep his brother alive.
Did he really have to give in?
Lu Shiming clenched his fists.
The sound of Yu Qingchuan opening the door startled Lu Shiming. He snapped his head up, his sharp gaze slicing across Yu Qingchuan like a blade and making his plump body shudder instinctively.
Yu Qingchuan closed the door and cleared his throat. Just as he was about to speak, his gaze unexpectedly landed on Lu Shiyi, who lay in the bed.
His face was a little more mature than Lu Shiming's, with exceptionally fine bone structure. Even with his eyes closed, his flawless beauty was obvious, instantly sparking a flood of inspiration in Yu Qingchuan, who had majored in art.
Yu Qingchuan suddenly remembered that, in the original novel, the little fatty's hospitalization had delayed the engagement. In a fit of anger, he had actually ordered Lu Shiyi's treatment temporarily suspended. Lu Shiyi had gradually weakened and eventually died.
That had left Lu Shiming with lifelong pain and regret. Of course, the little fatty's own end had been exceptionally gruesome: wild wolves had torn him apart and eaten him.
Yu Qingchuan figured that if he simply said he was giving up, Lu Shiming probably wouldn't believe him. He would only think Yu Qingchuan was retreating to gain ground. So he needed a better reason, preferably one that would settle the matter once and for all... I've got it!
Yu Qingchuan's expression suddenly turned sorrowful, and a hint of kindly affection(?) entered his voice. "Shiming..."
That tone, so much like an elder's, made Lu Shiming's skin crawl.
He stared warily at Yu Qingchuan, unsure what he was up to.
"I was actually trying to use you to get close to your brother. Your brother and I have already been intimate. Since he's in a vegetative state now, my family would never agree to let us be together, so I had to take a roundabout approach! Believe me, I'm your sister-in-law. He has a little mole on his right buttock. If you don't believe me, you can check."
Lu Shiming was utterly stunned.
Wh... what?!
Before you continue