Winning the male lead

Le Tian, overwhelmed with sorrow and lost in thought, leaned against Shen Lixing’s shoulder, his eyes red and his nose sniffling silently.

Shen Lixing remained quiet, savoring his current vulnerability.

He had finally shattered everything that belonged to Le Tian, inside and out. Now, this Le Tian would rely on him completely, belong to him entirely.

A faint smile curved at his lips as he gently stroked Le Tian’s soft black hair, weaving a web of gentle yet inescapable captivity.

Back at the Shen residence, Le Tian was still absentminded. When he got out of the car, Shen Lixing held onto him, and this time, he no longer resisted. He even misstepped and stumbled entirely into Shen Lixing’s arms.

Shen Lixing saw the emptiness in his eyes, and his emotions churned—jealousy, anger, but above all, heartache and anticipation.

Tightening his hold on Le Tian’s shoulders, he spoke in a deep voice, “I’m here. Stand firm. Don’t be afraid.”

Le Tian slowly lifted his gaze, still unfocused, and murmured, “Uncle… will you hold me?”

System: “…Damn it. Is this another trigger for passive censorship? Should I be happy or worried?”

This time, Le Tian was the one taking the initiative. In the past, Shen Lixing had always had to coax and half-force him into it. Though Le Tian would ultimately find some pleasure in their intimacy, it was clear that he didn’t like that kind of pleasure. Shen Lixing always felt as if something was missing.

Now, he finally knew what it was.

A passionate and cooperative Le Tian was several times more alluring than a resistant, evasive one. For the first time, he truly understood what it meant to be utterly satisfied.

Taking advantage of Le Tian’s complete submission, they even explored some new positions in their “game.”

Lying on the bed afterward, Shen Lixing gazed up at Le Tian’s flushed, intoxicated face. Suddenly, he felt that everything had been worth it.

He had won Le Tian—or rather, tamed him. The only person in this world he had ever truly cared about.

Afterward, the system, having finally emerged from passive censorship, sighed, “Congratulations. You’re now one step closer to mental exile.”

Le Tian paid it no mind. In fact, he almost felt like lighting a postgame cigarette. Finally, after an emotional breakdown, he had managed to fully indulge in a round of pleasure with Shen Lixing. It had been incredibly satisfying.

Usually, after they were done, he would turn his back on Shen Lixing while Shen Lixing held him from behind.

But tonight, he turned around and carefully studied Shen Lixing’s face.

No matter how he looked at him, he found him absurdly handsome. And somehow… he felt as if this was the last time he would see him.

He had the urge to lean in and kiss him. But he couldn’t.

Just then, as if he had read his thoughts, Shen Lixing shifted slightly forward, his lips landing precisely on Le Tian’s.

“Sleep,” he murmured. “Don’t overthink.”

Le Tian parted his lips slightly, then pouted at Shen Lixing in the air as if blowing him an invisible kiss. Baby, you’re truly gorgeous, and you’re amazing in bed, but this is where our story ends.

Le Tian asked the system, “I’m no longer the Shen family’s young master. I have fewer assets than Xu Tao now, right?”

System: “Correct. Your liquid funds don’t even come close to the value of his hospital shares.”

Le Tian: “So, financially, Xu Tao far surpasses me. The only advantage I might have left is in terms of appearance.”

The system admitted it. Le Tian’s appearance was indeed striking. “Xu Tao’s attractiveness rating is about three points lower than yours.”

Le Tian sighed soundlessly.

Shen Lixing had gone to great lengths to make him give up on Yu Miao. It was clear that he wanted to possess him completely, both physically and emotionally. Given his obsessive control, the moment he woke up tomorrow, Le Tian and Yu Miao’s engagement would be over.

Which meant that Le Tian’s mission would officially be a failure.

System: “With only B-level mental strength, you won’t survive mental exile. You should consider applying for bail from the Alliance. I can submit the request on your behalf.”

In the darkness, Le Tian’s lips curled into a faint smile, his eyes gleaming. “You’re not such a bad guy after all.”

System: “…We are systems. We have undergone professional training. We do not deceive our hosts.” (Except when we can’t help it.)

Le Tian: “Thanks for the offer. But don’t worry, I won’t fail this mission.”

In the middle of the night, after Shen Lixing’s breathing had evened out in sleep, he carefully slipped out of his embrace.

He turned back, gazing at Shen Lixing’s handsome face—then, unable to resist, he leaned down and pressed a light kiss to his brow.

What he didn’t know was that Shen Lixing had already woken up the moment he moved.

He was a light sleeper. The slightest disturbance was enough to rouse him—especially when the person in his arms was his most treasured Le Tian.

At first, he had planned to keep pretending to be asleep, just to see what Le Tian was up to.

But then, he felt a sudden warmth on his forehead.

Even though the soft sensation vanished in an instant, he immediately recognized it for what it was—Le Tian had kissed him!

His heart pounded violently.

He had the urge to open his eyes, pull Le Tian down, and kiss him back.

But at the same time, he didn’t want to break this rare, quiet moment of warmth between them.

So, he endured it, forcing down the smile that threatened to curl at his lips.

So this is what it feels like to finally break through the clouds and see the moonlight.

His heart felt as if it had been filled with something soft and warm.

He kept his eyes shut, but in reality, he was watching Le Tian through barely opened lids.

He saw him creeping toward the bathroom, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Finally, he couldn’t hold back his smile anymore.

Still so childish.

Late at night, in the bathroom, Le Tian slowly opened the drawer and took out a razor.

System: “What are you doing?” Shaving in the middle of the night?

Le Tian: “Completing the mission.”

To the system’s utter shock, Le Tian swiftly and decisively shaved off his eyebrows. Instantly, his face in the mirror looked as smooth and bare as a peeled egg.

No matter how good-looking someone is, losing their eyebrows makes them look ridiculous.

He urged, “Now is my appearance rating lower than Xu Tao’s? If not, I can also cut my hair.” He put down the razor and pulled out a pair of scissors.

The cold gleam of the blade flashed, and the system felt like its code had momentarily frozen. Then, against its will, it emitted a mechanical voice:

“Congratulations, Guardian, for completing the mission in this world. You will be forcibly removed from the main world within a week.”

!!!

This guy!!!

Too cunning!!!

System nearly spat blood.

“Le Tian, what are you doing!”

Shen Lixing, having waited too long for him to return, felt uneasy and rushed into the bathroom—only to find him holding a pair of scissors, his face stripped of eyebrows, smiling faintly with an unreadable expression.

His heart sank. He sternly ordered, “Put down the scissors.”

Le Tian obediently set them down, tilting his head at Shen Lixing with innocent eyes. “I couldn’t sleep, so I came to play.”

Shen Lixing’s heart pounded with fear. He pulled him into his arms, taking a deep breath. “Baby, what’s so fun in the bathroom? Come back to bed.”

His words inadvertently reminded Le Tian of something.

“I’m about to leave this world. If I don’t have one last bathroom play with Shen Lixing before I go, it’ll be such a loss.”

With that thought, he planted his feet firmly, clinging onto Shen Lixing’s shoulders, his voice pitiful and coaxing, “Little Uncle, play with me, okay?”

Shen Lixing furrowed his brows. Before he could respond, Le Tian had already yanked his bathrobe open, seizing the initiative.

Le Tian started it. Shen Lixing had no reason to refuse. Naturally, things escalated, and the two had their game right there in the bathroom.

Afterward, Le Tian, in his sweetest voice, insisted on taking a bath—leading to another game in the bathtub.

Though fully satisfied physically, Shen Lixing still felt uneasy. He sensed that something was off with Le Tian—his behavior was too extreme, his energy too manic.

Carrying the exhausted Le Tian back to bed, he pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Baby, you must like me a little, don’t you?”

Otherwise…

Why would you secretly kiss me?

Gently stroking Le Tian’s messy bangs, Shen Lixing felt a deep, unshakable unease in his heart. He didn’t sleep at all that night, watching over Le Tian in silence.

The next morning, Le Tian woke to find Shen Lixing gone—probably off to work. Stretching lazily in bed, he grinned.

“Ah, this mission was way too easy.”

System: “…You’re so good at exploiting loopholes, were you a bug in your past life?”

Le Tian chuckled. “No matter how good I am, didn’t you still catch me?”

The system went silent, unwilling to admit it had been flattered.

Le Tian: “So, in one week, will I be leaving this world as a consciousness, or will this character be erased?”

The former meant Le Tian’s soul would leave, and the system would arrange for a copy of his consciousness to continue functioning in this world. The latter meant Shen Le Tian would die.

System: “For punishment missions, character deletion is standard.”

Le Tian didn’t particularly care about the method—only one thing mattered.

“Will it hurt?”

System: “No pain. Instant death.”

Le Tian sighed in relief and reminded the system, “See? I did my mission properly. Don’t forget, you promised me a powerful and wealthy identity in the next world.”

The system hesitated for a moment before responding, “Don’t worry. It’s already arranged.”

Le Tian exhaled deeply. “Let’s work well together. If we complete all the punishment missions quickly, you’ll become the top system leader.”

The system didn’t reply. It felt… nervous.

For the next week, Le Tian fully indulged himself. He clung to Shen Lixing constantly, playing the role of a fragile soul who had lost everything and only had his “Little Uncle” left.

Any excuse to pull Shen Lixing into their games was fair play.

Although Shen Lixing enjoyed their games, he still felt uneasy. Le Tian’s state was far from normal—his obsessive clinging, his refusal to sleep at night, his desperate craving for intimacy.

System: Finally, someone agrees with me! He really is crazy!

Le Tian: Shen Lixing is handsome and great in bed. I have one week left—I have to make the most of it!

Worried, Shen Lixing hired a psychologist to assess him. The doctor, a kindly middle-aged man, asked a few questions:

“How’s your sleep?”

Le Tian, sporting dark circles: “Not much.”

“Do you ever experience sudden heart palpitations?”

“All the time.” Especially during games with Shen Lixing.

“Do you often feel flushed and overheated?”

“Yeah, whenever I start daydreaming.” About what games we haven’t tried yet.

“Do you feel restless or irritable?”

“A little…” Le Tian sighed dramatically, looking sorrowful. Will I ever meet another man as handsome and skilled as Shen Lixing in the next world?

…

The results were bad.

The psychologist diagnosed severe anxiety and moderate depression.

Shen Lixing remained silent for a long time before asking, “Can it be cured?”

The doctor replied, “Family support is crucial. Take him outside more, provide emotional reassurance, and continue regular therapy sessions. With optimism, he could recover in one to two years.”

Hands trembling, Shen Lixing lit a cigarette. “Okay.”

Returning to the bedroom, he found Le Tian sitting cross-legged on the bed. Upon seeing him, Le Tian immediately leaped into his arms.

“Little Uncle, play with me! Play with me!”

Only one hour remained before his deletion. There was still time for one last game.

Shen Lixing’s heart ached. He had driven him to this point.

“Baby, let’s go outside for a walk,” he said, concealing the redness in his eyes.

Le Tian shook his head. “No, I want to stay here with you.”

Shen Lixing felt like he had been stabbed in the heart.

“Be good. Come outside with me.” He lifted him effortlessly, making him giggle at the ticklish touch.

Holding hands, they walked through the garden, Le Tian fascinated by everything he’d never really looked at before.

He was so easily pleased.

Shen Lixing regretted keeping him locked up all this time. He kissed his hand and whispered hoarsely, “Le Tian… I’m sorry.”

Le Tian paused, turning to look at him. Shen Lixing, a grown man, had red-rimmed eyes, holding his hand like it was a lifeline.

System: “One minute until forced departure.”

Le Tian sighed and pulled him down, wrapping his arms around his shoulders.

Whispering into his ear, he said, “Little Uncle, I don’t blame you… I really like you.”

Then, a sharp pain struck his chest. The world spun.

The last thing he saw was Shen Lixing’s stunned, devastated face.

Damn… Even panicked, you look ridiculously handsome.

Then—

Le Tian roared: “YOU SAID IT WOULDN’T HURT!”

System: “Heh.”