Song Qingshi is dead.
After dying, he finds himself in a strange space, where a flashing red orb resides.
The orb claims to be an interdimensional system from a higher realm, tasked with fixing a world that's about to collapse due to reader resentment aimed at the tragic fate of its main character. It's seeking a soul well-versed in various plot tropes, savvy in emotional nuances, and capable of dynamic problem-solving to heal the protagonist's physical and emotional wounds, thus fulfilling the readers' wish: to change the protagonist's fate and shower him with love and happiness.
The system's information is fragmented, with unreadable alien characters filling the gaps.
Song Qingshi suffered from ALS in his previous life and was dedicated to medical research for his own survival. He was a medical student who never wasted time reading novels.
Emotionally, he's a blank slate. Despite being handsome and well-behaved, his health condition led to an atmosphere of exaggerated sympathy and compassion around him, making romance impossible. He even developed a mild social anxiety disorder, fearful of speaking to strangers.
He's a soul entirely unfit for the system's requirements.
Song Qingshi has no idea how he was chosen by the system and feels that all his knowledge in Marxist philosophy is now useless. From the garbled information, he gathers that accepting the mission will grant him a new, healthy body in a fictional world.
Realizing this, Song Qingshi is ecstatic. A healthy body is his wildest dream, and he would willingly brave hellfire and storms if required by the system.
Burying his conscience, he lies for the first time in his life, "I have read tens of thousands of books and have a photographic memory. My expertise in medicine and psychology equips me to solve all of the protagonist's problems. Furthermore, I'm... experienced in love and enjoy communicating. I can definitely complete the mission!"
If souls could blush, his would be beet-red by now.
The system seems oblivious to his insincerity and confirms him as the executor of the mission. A chaotic stream of scrambled data and fragmented information invades his consciousness, causing searing pain in his soul.
Suddenly, the system blares a sharp warning, and the data transfer halts. Song Qingshi's vision goes dark, and his soul drifts towards a point of white light.
...
When Song Qingshi awakens, he finds himself in a forest, enveloped in the subtle fragrance of various herbs. Squinting at the blindingly blue sky, he sees a magnificent golden phoenix flying by, trailed by a host of mythical birds.
Is this the world within the book?
It's so realistic…
A gentle breeze rustles through the trees, shaking off dewdrops that land on his fair fingertips, bringing a refreshing chill. Then, a deluge of memories from his new body floods into his mind, attempting to fuse with his soul. His new body is also named Song Qingshi, the master of the Valley of Medicine Kings and a renowned physician and alchemist in the immortal realm.
However, the original host was reclusive and quirky, never leaving the valley and having no interest in anything other than medicine and alchemy. He treated patients based on his whims and did not discriminate based on their status. When displeased, he'd use people as test subjects for his experiments. But his advanced cultivation and deadly techniques rendered him untouchable, making him an infamous figure whispered about in the shadows.
While he is still trying to assimilate these memories, the system's fragmented data bursts in, mingling with his own, throwing him into a state of confusion before he could finally grasp his current situation.
He finds himself in Jin Feng Mansion, the most luxurious place in the immortal realm, home to rare creatures and countless beauties.
The owner, Jin Feirui, is an eminent figure known for his indulgences and generosity. To celebrate acquiring a new beauty, he has invited like-minded friends to a lavish banquet and plans to bestow additional beauties upon them as gifts.
The original Song Qingshi had come today due to an unusual occurrence. Jin Feirui offered a rare herb—Millennium Snow Ginseng—as trade for a batch of elixirs. Since the original host needed the herb for his alchemy, he agreed.
The herb could only be found in a secret snowy mountain controlled by the Jin family, and the original host had come in person to harvest it. His arrival coincided with Jin Feirui's banquet, and after much persuasion, the original host agreed to attend.
And then, Song Qingshi was transported here by the system…
What is a furnace cauldron?
Song Qing Shi browsed through the original body's memories and found various kinds of alchemy furnaces and treasure cauldrons. He couldn't help but feel that something was off. After all, Master Jin, the owner of the mansion, was a sword cultivator and shouldn't have had any interest in alchemy.
Song Qing Shi wanted to consult the system for clarification, but it seemed to have disappeared. Not only was there no information on the storyline in the data he received, but even the character profiles were fragmented and full of garbled text. The only clear descriptive words he found in the document were: supreme constitution, unparalleled beauty, a submissive partner (受) subject to mysterious conditions, manipulation, deep masochistic love, etc. Two readable words also appeared: unclear symbols on a jade platform.
...
An avid reader of system-based novels would instantly recognize that something was amiss.
However, Song Qing Shi saw nothing wrong. He considered this as the system testing his analytical and problem-solving skills. He was accustomed to being assessed. Normally, when he collaborated with his professor on new drug research, he would often start without any clues and had to experiment step by step, enduring numerous errors and difficulties to reach a final answer, which most often turned out to be unexpected.
Many pharmaceutical companies invest tens or even hundreds of billions in drug research. Scholars devote decades of their lives, gray their hair, only to fail clinical trials.
Therefore, anyone engaged in pharmaceutical research has weathered countless battles, suffered numerous defeats, yet continues to fight on.
The questions posed by the system teacher are not difficult!
Song, the top student, expressed no fear! He will definitely find the correct answer and live up to his teacher's expectations!
Song Qing Shi swiftly pinpointed the key aspects in the given problem: The submissive main character (受) would appear at a grand flower banquet. He is male, gay, exceedingly beautiful, with a flawless physique and a tragic fate. Song Qing Shi is tasked with rescuing him, providing maximum care, treating his physical and mental health, and helping him find happiness and joy.
In Song Qing Shi's time, respecting sexual orientation was a matter written into law; same-sex couples could marry.
He had once found a dropped novel from a fujoshi classmate, titled "The Alluring Prince and His Delicate Spouse." The cover featured a handsome, domineering man in ancient dress holding a flat-chested beauty. He didn't understand at first but learned about BL (Boys' Love) genres when returning the book. His classmate informed him that the 'beauty' was actually male—the submissive partner (受), while the domineering one was the aggressive partner (攻). Therefore, Song Qing Shi was confident that he could clearly differentiate between the roles in the novel and would not mistakenly rescue the dominant main character (攻).
The problem-solving approach and direction have been determined; all that remains is the grand flower banquet.
Song Qing Shi's spiritual sea gradually cleared, his soul and body fully integrated, becoming more agile. He carefully propped himself up to sit, took off his shoes, and tested the flexibility of his toes, which had been stiff for years. His milky-white, plump toes cheerfully responded. Wobbly at first, he eventually remembered the natural posture of walking and his movements gradually smoothed out.
Soft grass was beneath his feet, and damp soil.
Outside the forest was a tranquil river. Song Qing Shi stepped into the water, cupped some cool water to wash his face, and confirmed that he was not dreaming.
Tears of utmost joy streamed out, falling heavily onto his palms, unable to be stemmed. The river water stilled, reflecting the young man's figure.
Song Qing Shi was amazed to find that the body provided by the system resembled his high-school self. Not particularly tall and rather slender, he was wrapped in layers of robes made from snow-colored, cloud-patterned silk. At first glance, he appeared too frail for his clothing.
His fine hair was simply tied back, with a few stray strands falling out. Perhaps due to cultivation, his facial features were even more delicate than before—pale skin and clear eyes. Due to his constant daydreaming about research, he looked somewhat adorably clueless, which was deceivingly harmless. This led many who underestimated his original self to become fertilizer in his medicinal garden or test subjects for his poisons.
...
Having vented his emotions, Song Qing Shi looked at his reflection and felt embarrassed at his red, tear-streaked eyes. He quickly bent down to scoop water to wash away his tears, but a tinkling of bells and a mocking voice sounded from behind him.
"Self-harm is pointless; it only brings needless pain. If you can't reconcile yourself to this, feel free to sink, to see if you can actually find a way out."
Startled, Song Qing Shi turned around, and was met with a view of beauty unlike anything he had ever seen.
A peach tree was in full bloom, and beneath it stood a stunning youth clad in red. This youth had an unparalleled beauty, like an intricate painting bursting with color and allure. With skin resembling warm jade and eyes of deep golden hue framed by lashes as black as crow feathers, he was as majestic as a heavenly phoenix. Yet, a bright red teardrop-shaped mole below his left eye marred this regality, bringing a sinful allure that made him irresistibly captivating.
His long hair was unbound, falling casually to his waist with a slight curl at the ends. Barefoot, he wore a garment made of mermaid silk, which clung closely to his body, masking all other colors. A golden belt at his waist was all that held the garment in place.
Song Qing Shi felt no blasphemous thoughts, but his social anxiety worsened upon being discovered crying. It took him a great deal of courage to stammer, "I... I was just..."
His hesitation was seen as tacit agreement in the eyes of the beautiful person in red.
The celestial realm is rife with dangerous beasts and birds. Cultivators have heightened senses and can easily detect any movement in their vicinity. Even a novice cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage wouldn't miss the sound of a mortal's footsteps, let alone a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage. Except, of course, for a strange case like Song Qing Shi, who had just arrived and was unfamiliar with both spiritual power and social customs.
The red-clad beauty completely misunderstood, thinking Song Qing Shi was also a mortal. In this mountain estate, a mortal of such beauty could only serve one purpose. "Are you a new slave?" he asked.
Confused, Song Qing Shi looked up. His gaze inadvertently fell on an intriguing wound on the beauty in red. He couldn't help but look again, pondering what it might be.
Noticing his gaze, the beauty in red felt a wave of discomfort and burgeoning malice, though his face displayed a tender smile. "Don't worry, you'll have your share soon enough," he said in a voice tinged with faux sincerity.
Having been well-protected before crossing worlds, Song Qing Shi had never experienced malice and couldn't discern the hidden meaning. Although he found the blessing strange, he politely responded, "Thank you."
His reply dumbfounded the beauty in red. For a moment, he scrutinized Song Qing Shi from head to toe, noticing the untainted innocence in his eyes.
This realization stirred a fleeting pang of pity in his hardened heart. "You'll find out tonight that death is a luxury," he murmured, looking at the rippling river beside them. "When I first arrived, I also tried to end my life multiple times. But it's futile. For slaves like us, branded with the Huanlian Mark, our souls belong to our masters. We can't even die without their permission..."
The beauty in red fell silent for a long while before slowly reaching out to gently tousle Song Qing Shi's soft hair.
Song Qing Shi noticed several red marks on the beauty's pale wrist, marks of having been bound. Sensing that these were not to be questioned, he suppressed his curiosity.
The beauty's fingers slid from Song Qing Shi's hair to his delicate face. He paused momentarily, then withdrew his hand, unable to bring himself to say more. "You're very beautiful, but the more beautiful you are, the later your liberation will come," he sighed.
"What do you mean by liberation?" asked Song Qing Shi.
"You'll find out soon enough," the beauty in red said, his expression suddenly lightening. He cautiously looked around, then gently touched his lips with a fingertip, whispering so softly it was almost inaudible, "Tonight will be my liberation..."
With a smile, the beauty in red turned and walked away, the tinkling of bells accompanying his footsteps. Each step seemed laborious, as if he were a mermaid painfully treading on the blades of a knife.
Beneath his red robe, a pair of elegant golden anklets emerged around his lovely ankles. Each anklet was adorned with a delicate bell, connected by a slender golden chain. As he moved, the bells gently jingled, making a sound as crisp and pleasing as a caged bird.
The golden chain trailed across the grass, leaving a few droplets of blood on the verdant leaves.
Summoning the courage to overcome his social anxiety, Song Qing Shi called out to the departing beauty, "Are you... are you injured? I know some medical arts. Would you like me to help?"
The red-clad beauty turned his head and looked at him for a few seconds. He couldn't help but smile—a smile that finally reached his eyes, radiant like a beam of sunlight breaking through clouds. Shaking his head, he offered a heartfelt blessing: "May you have better luck tonight."
Turning his back again, the light in his eyes vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only relentless darkness.
Having wallowed in nightmares for years, he had long learned to forego any lingering attachment to the kindness of others, ignoring any fleeting moments of charity bestowed upon him.
Bearing his painful shackles alone, he continued to walk through his prison, never pausing his steps.