Little Pink Starfish

Yes, Gu Bai was a devoted fan of Gu Long, and among all of Gu Long’s books and characters, his absolute favorite was Baiyun City’s lord, Ye Gucheng.

His current appearance was actually modeled after Ziche Shubai’s design in his own novel—not that his original intention was for the protagonist to devour Baiyun City’s lord whole.

In Gu Bai’s original outline, the protagonist was a calm yet passionate, thoroughly good person who would sacrifice himself to save the world. In his final moments, he would die a tragic yet heroic death, and his name would be remembered across the continent for generations, his glory lasting a hundred lifetimes.

But in the current trends of web novels, such a character had a name: Shabi (idiot).

That was one of the core reasons why Gu Bai’s best friend, after reading the outline, declared the story doomed to fail.

—The other reason, of course, was the lack of romance.

Every reader knew that while female authors could write incredibly self-indulgent (Mary Sue) stories, when male authors did it, it was on a whole different level—

And how did male authors usually self-indulge?

If it wasn’t the protagonist, then it had to be a supporting male character—if a hot-blooded protagonist couldn’t be self-indulgent, then there had to be a high-status, rich, and handsome character!

In the original outline, Tian Du City’s lord was precisely such a “tall, rich, and handsome” figure.

The original Ziche Shubai wasn’t meant to be cannon fodder at all. Instead, he was a noble man with a personality akin to Baiyun City’s lord but even more uninhibited than Ye Gucheng. He and the protagonist hit it off immediately—not in a romantic sense, of course—but they became sworn brothers at first sight. From then on, he accompanied the protagonist, growing stronger together, standing by him through life and death. In the end, when the protagonist was about to save the world, Ziche Shubai even sacrificed himself first, increasing the protagonist’s chances of success from 80% to 100%. He was the protagonist’s one and only zhiji (soulmate).

At the same time, the original Ziche Shubai was completely different from the revised version. He was a martial arts fanatic by nature, not someone who only took responsibility because his father died. He was born to embrace solitude, but after meeting the protagonist, he willingly stepped out of it…

He had Ye Gucheng’s qualities, but not his restraints. He was true to himself, unconcerned with fame or fortune. Before, his world consisted only of martial arts, nothing else. But after meeting the protagonist, his life became brilliant because of that friendship.

After the protagonist saved the world, many of his sworn brothers, subordinates, and friends sacrificed themselves. Their names were forever engraved on the World Pillar formed from the protagonist’s body. Among them, Ziche Shubai’s name stood alone, side by side with the protagonist.

From this, it was clear just how ridiculously Tom Sue Ziche Shubai was in the original outline.

If this were a manga, he’d be that incredibly stylish and popular supporting character constantly overshadowing the protagonist. In a novel, he’d be the protagonist’s “true love” and the unattainable ideal in everyone’s heart.

But after the outline was revised, everyone became mere stepping stones for the protagonist. Even if Ziche Shubai’s character setting remained unchanged, to a protagonist who was fundamentally rewritten, he was nothing more than a power boost.

Feeling sorry for his character, Gu Bai retained only Ziche Shubai’s appearance and physical attributes but drastically altered his personality, preferences, and abilities. It was like replacing a genuine product with a cheap imitation—only then could Gu Bai bring himself to sacrifice him as cannon fodder.

Many plot points also changed. For example, the Blood Gathering Ganoderma was originally intended to deepen the brotherly bond between the protagonist and Ziche Shubai.

Originally, when Ziche Shubai’s martial body defect exploded, the protagonist would realize he had unknowingly consumed his brother’s only hope of survival. Filled with guilt, he would feed Ziche Shubai his own blood every day, becoming pale and haggard in the process, until even the cold-hearted Ziche Shubai was moved… Basically, the more dramatic, tragic, and emotionally stirring, the better. This would pave the way for Ziche Shubai to follow the protagonist, ready to sacrifice himself without hesitation.

—There’s even a term for this: Tragic Sue.

Now, all those plotlines were gone, leaving only the empty shell of a rich and powerful Ziche Shubai.

Yet, even after all this, Gu Bai still made Ziche Shubai the protagonist’s first stepping stone, the first powerful figure he would consume—perhaps that was Gu Bai’s personal bias.

Now that Gu Bai had transmigrated into the novel, he had to admit—this was an incredibly satisfying cosplay experience.

Writing a self-indulgent character with a pen was nothing compared to becoming one in real life.

Fortunately, Gu Bai had plenty of martial arts knowledge to back him up, so he could play the role convincingly enough.

If he were a professional cosplayer, he’d deserve a million likes.

Feeling smug about how incredibly cool he looked, Gu Bai maintained his icy and aloof facade. Meanwhile, his four carefully trained and breathtakingly beautiful attendants exchanged a subtle glance. The one holding a flute stepped forward, her lips parting as she spoke in a melodious voice:

“On this joyous occasion of our Tian Du City lord’s birthday banquet, we are honored by the presence of so many esteemed guests. Please, take your seats.”

The many visitors who had stood upon the city lord’s arrival bowed respectfully toward the high platform before taking their seats.

Since this was a birthday banquet, the next part, naturally, was presenting gifts.

Gu Bai, still in Ziche Shubai’s guise, sat coldly at the highest seat, watching as rare and precious treasures were brought before him. His expression remained unchanged, which made the guests even more uneasy.

Despite his youth, his composure was remarkable. He let his beautiful attendants handle all the hospitality, occasionally nodding but never appearing disrespectful—this left an air of mystery in everyone’s hearts.

But hidden from view, Gu Bai was suffering.

Damn it, I only remember this pose looking cool on TV, but no one told me it’s this uncomfortable!

Holding the same posture for hours was unbearable. His back was pressed against the chair, and now his waist was aching—this was pure torture!

Playing it cool definitely comes at a price…

Thankfully, he had martial training.

Gu Bai remained expressionless and then… lightly clapped his hands.

A maid’s soft voice rang out, summoning a group of young dancers from the back of the hall. They were exquisite beauties, carefully selected for their grace. Alongside them were handsome young men holding musical instruments.

The dancers began to perform, their movements mesmerizing and dreamlike, seductive yet elusive—an unparalleled display of beauty.

It was common knowledge that among men, bonding often involved eating, drinking, and entertainment. Now, aside from gambling, all the necessary elements were present—stunning women, exquisite food, and flowing wine.

Though Gu Bai had no personal experience in such matters, he had read countless novels online and done extensive research while writing his own harem novel. He knew exactly how these things worked! Even if executing them in reality felt a bit stiff, his emotionless facade was his best shield.

The greatest advantage of a deadpan face was that no one could tell if you were embarrassed, nervous, annoyed, or pleased.

So Gu Bai maintained his cold, untouchable aura while subtly shifting his position as he accepted a drink. He only sipped slowly—he would never be caught eating in front of the guests.

As if! A noble and aloof city lord indulging in mundane food? That would ruin the image!

Seeing the city lord’s steady composure, the seasoned old foxes among the guests started re-evaluating him. He didn’t seem like some naive young upstart at all.

Just as the atmosphere grew lively, a middle-aged man stood up. He looked muscular and honest, but his words were anything but straightforward.

“The city lord’s achievements at such a young age are truly admirable. I have three children, all of whom greatly admire the city lord. In honor of your birthday, they wish to present a performance as a token of respect.”

Gu Bai gave him a cold glance.

…Who the hell is this?

Then he looked at his maid.

The one holding a zither stepped forward. “Then let them begin.”

The middle-aged man beamed and tapped on a nearby weapon rack.

A soft melody drifted in, a girl’s voice singing with admiration and longing.

Gu Bai’s vision suddenly darkened.

Oh, hell no! Not her again!