Little Pink Starfish

After that, the women no longer dared to approach. Without their flirtatious chatter, Gu Bai’s surroundings became noticeably quiet.

Qiguan Rui, meanwhile, continued attending to him with a spring-like smile, never once looking like he was merely serving someone.

Before long, a few newly arrived women spotted them from afar. Their eyes lit up with excitement, and they started to walk over—

Only to be pulled back by others, leading to the following conversation:

“Why stop me? That’s some high-quality goods over there!”

“Those two are a pair of dog men.”

“…What a waste of two handsome faces.”

And then… nothing more happened.

Just like that, two more intervals of time passed. Under the eager anticipation of the lecherous onlookers, a few graceful figures finally descended onto the stage.

The women had arrived!

And thus, the Flower Viewing Festival officially began.

This kind of courtesan competition was a staple of both Mary Sue romance stories and harem novels. The difference was that, in the former, the female protagonist always stole the show, dazzling everyone with her talents and winning the admiration of countless handsome men. In the latter, a group of women displayed their beauty, only to all end up in the protagonist’s embrace.

Completely different at their core. ╮(╯▽╰)╭

Gu Bai was writing a harem novel, so obviously, talent wasn’t the focus—any skills displayed were merely to highlight beauty.

For example, a girl had just performed a dance—wearing a dangerously revealing outfit, her body was nothing short of scorching hot. Another girl sang, but she had to throw seductive glances and sway her waist the entire time, exuding pure charm. Then there was the girl playing the flute, who, as she played, had to make teasing gestures, touching and clinging in a way that made hearts itch.

Even the ones with a pure and innocent appearance had plump breasts, round breasts, trembling breasts. As for those who weren’t as conventionally attractive, their skin was sure to be fair and smooth to the touch. And let’s not even start on the sultry red lips and mysterious blue roses—every description had to be sizzling hot, stirring up the reader’s blood. Of course, there were also exceptions—those with an icy demeanor, cold and aloof, embodying the “untouchable goddess” fantasy, crafted for masochistic readers who loved to grovel. But at the end of the day, everything was still in service of female beauty.

The Baihua Sect disciples were experts at this and performed flawlessly.

The audience below all looked like (ˉ﹃ˉ), their eyes practically popping out, ready to jump onto the stage.

Gu Bai, maintaining his poker face, watched intently.

He had prided himself on writing the Flower Viewing Festival scene years later, drawing inspiration from countless “A”-rated films to ensure it was exceptionally steamy. But seeing the real thing today…

Yeah, this was just as intense.

…Honestly, it was even hotter than what he had written—such good material!

What a pity he had transmigrated.

If he were still in his original world, this could have sparked another wave of subscriptions and votes!

As Gu Bai was lost in thought about his abandoned novel projects, Qiguan Rui was watching Gu Bai the entire time.

Looking up, looking down, looking at the outside, and… well, the inside was invisible.

Qiguan Rui glanced at the men around them. Many of the “pigs” were making fools of themselves. Even those with slightly better self-control had flushed faces and rapid breathing.

But Ziche Shubai… aside from watching without blinking, he had absolutely no reaction.

Speaking of which… this complete lack of reaction—what did it even mean?

Qiguan Rui frowned slightly.

They had shared a bed for so long, yet he had never once seen Ziche Shubai show any response.

Logically speaking, Ziche Shubai’s body had long since matured. He should have had some sort of reaction by now.

And yet, nothing… It was hard not to wonder—could he have some sort of… dysfunction?

And if that were the case…

Qiguan Rui suddenly smiled.

A dysfunction might actually be a good thing. If Ziche Shubai had no desire for women, then naturally, he could only enjoy Qiguan Rui’s touch.

As long as he had the right methods, everything would fall into place.

There was always a way to make Ziche Shubai enjoy himself with him.

…In reality, Gu Bai—who was completely unaware that he was being considered sexually dysfunctional—was merely forced into celibacy.

The reason? His martial arts training. _{[T/N: Incel by martial arts lol.]}

Typically, martial artists were full of energy and vigor. Their bodies were brimming with vitality, which only heightened their desires.

But Gu Bai practiced an ice-based cultivation technique, utilizing cold-attribute attacks.

Think about it—even if desire burned hot, a bucket of ice water thrown over it would—

Hiss~~

Practicing that technique was like being doused in cold water all the time. Even the most vigorous lover would inevitably… wilt.

Better to have no desires in the first place.

As a hardcore otaku who only loved 2D characters, Gu Bai felt no pressure at all.

No libido? So what? It’s not like he had plans to sleep with women anyway.

Qiguan Rui’s gaze remained warm, but countless thoughts churned in his mind.

His greedy eyes secretly traced over Gu Bai’s body before quickly retracting before Gu Bai could notice.

Patience… patience.

As long as Ziche Shubai had no desires, no one else could taint him.

And since Qiguan Rui had yet to gain full control over Ziche Shubai, nor did he have enough power to secure his position in Tiandu City, he had to hold back.

He truly didn’t want to see a look of disgust in Ziche Shubai’s eyes. But if it ever came to that… then even if he was hated, he would still keep him in his grasp.

Or, perhaps… locked in his bed.

Never letting him escape.

The two of them, completely out of sync with each other’s thoughts, continued watching the performance.

On stage, the women twirled and flaunted, bringing the atmosphere to a climax—

When suddenly, dozens of shadowy figures burst out from the trees and flowerbeds nearby!

They moved at terrifying speeds, ghostly and swift, slicing through the air with deadly force.

They struck so quickly that many in the crowd had no time to react. The rich young masters had only come to “admire flowers” for fun. Their bodyguards were present, but they had also been somewhat intoxicated by the beauty around them, their reactions dulled.

And that slight delay… made all the difference.

The figures darted forward, tearing through the bodyguards—or simply bypassing them entirely—before lunging straight at the pampered young masters.

And then… they devoured them.

Yes, devoured.

Flesh was ripped apart, internal organs were torn out, skulls were pried open, and brains were scooped out and shoved into gnashing mouths.

In an instant, the Flower Viewing Festival turned into a hellish slaughter. The scent of blood filled the air.

Severed limbs and mangled bodies littered the ground, accompanied by the sickening sound of chewing.

The Baihua Sect girls had never seen anything like this before. Just moments ago, they had been happily performing, and now—suddenly, the audience had turned into a grotesque horror show. It was a miracle they hadn’t collapsed from sheer terror.

Even so, they huddled together, trembling. Then, someone screamed—and the girls bolted in the opposite direction.

Gu Bai’s lips twitched.

Just my damn luck.

I’m not some cursed elementary school detective—why does disaster strike everywhere I go?!

Then, he remembered something.

The twisted protagonist had heard about Baihua Sect’s “tragic past” in the novel.

Yes, yet another tragedy.

The sect had once flourished, but during a past Flower Viewing Festival, a massacre had nearly wiped them out. Many of the victims had powerful backgrounds, causing turmoil across multiple cities.

And the culprits? Demonic beings.

This very incident was what sparked the large-scale war between demons and martial artists.

And of course, Gu Bai had the misfortune of running straight into it.

Worse—he was now watching a horror movie in real life.

Gu Bai slowly turned to Qiguan Rui.

Qiguan Rui met his gaze with a gentle smile.

Gu Bai sighed, grabbed Qiguan Rui, and pulled him behind him.

Sorry, ladies—I’d love to help, but right now, I can only protect Xiaoshan.

Gu Bai finally understood why this was called a massacre.

The demons that had arrived were all mid-level Wu Jun or higher. If this wasn’t a tragedy, what was?!

Their eyes were blood-red, clearly starving for blood. It seemed like their attack had two purposes—causing chaos and delivering a warning.

They devoured quickly. Within moments, the young masters and their guards were completely wiped out. Some demons even started chasing the women who hadn’t managed to flee far enough.

—Of course, some women did escape. Otherwise, who would be left to spread the tale of the demons’ terror?

But those who weren’t fast enough… were captured and eaten alive.

The scene turned into utter chaos, yet Gu Bai and Qiguan Rui remained untouched.

Gu Bai had no choice but to punch through a demon’s gut, sending it flying. Then, he turned and delivered another strike to a second demon.

There was no other way—he was completely surrounded by seven or eight demons. Even if he had the upper hand in terms of strength, he couldn’t eliminate them all quickly.

Not to mention, he had to protect Gu Xiaoshan. Unknowingly, he had been forced into a desperate situation.

Qiguan Rui was tightly shielded by Gu Bai, and his emotions were complicated.

Ziche Shubai was truly willing to risk his life for him—he hadn’t abandoned him, even in mortal danger.

And that… only made Qiguan Rui want to possess him entirely.

No one else was allowed to look at him. No one else was allowed to touch him. No one else should even think about having him.

Gu Bai focused on his attacks. A thin layer of ice formed around his hands, while frost gathered on his eyebrows and hair.

This was a sign that he was pushing his martial prowess to its peak. He was now using his full strength to carve a path to safety.

His movements remained elegant, swift, and deadly—so refined and poised that it seemed as though he wasn’t locked in a life-or-death battle but merely strolling through a field of flowers. His attacks were efficient, beautiful, and effortless.

But internally, Gu Bai was panicking!

Damn it! I just came to enjoy a flower festival, and now I’m in a full-blown crisis?! How the hell am I supposed to escape?!

If it were just him, he might have been able to flee. But he had someone weaker to protect!

If it had been anyone else, he might have abandoned them without hesitation. But Gu Xiaoshan was different—he was his only family, brother, friend, and caretaker in this world. There was no way he could leave him behind!

Was this really the end? Were they both going to die here? Damn it, give me a way out!

Behind him, Qiguan Rui finally made up his mind.

If Ziche Shubai was willing to go this far for him… then perhaps it wouldn’t matter even if he revealed some of his secrets.

He refused to let both of them die here.

There were still so many things he wanted to do together with Ziche Shubai.

With that thought, Qiguan Rui suddenly moved, slipping past Gu Bai’s defenses to stand at his side.

Gu Bai was startled. So fast!

Qiguan Rui whispered, “Gege, I have a way.”

Gu Bai knocked down another demon and turned to him. “What way?”

Qiguan Rui smiled slightly and extended his hand—releasing a dozen black shadows.

The shadows slithered forward like venomous snakes, darting toward their targets with deadly precision.

Gu Bai glanced at the creatures. Then at Qiguan Rui.

Back at the creatures.

Then back at Qiguan Rui.

That—wasn’t—that—a—curse gu?!

There was no way he’d ever forget this!

His mind went completely blank for a second.

Twisted protagonist = Gu Xiaoshan.
Twisted protagonist = Gu Xiaoshan.
Twisted protagonist = Gu Xiaoshan.

HOLY SH*T!

Gu Bai felt like he had just been hit by a divine cosmic force, and his entire worldview shattered into pieces.

He had just been smacked by fate itself.