Little Pink Starfish

When Gu Bai actually arrived at the competition venue, he found it packed with people, making it difficult to immediately identify which one was the protagonist shou.

However, since the original owner of this body had a high status—he was a top-tier noble in Robby City and ranked among the elite even within the entire Orc Empire—plus, he was one of the rare sub-orcs with relatively low magic levels but exceptionally high mental power, he didn’t need to compete in the preliminary rounds with the masses and could go straight to the final round.

Gu Bai took a seat in the VIP section alongside the original owner’s A’fu.
This A’fu was a disgrace among orcs—fond of drinking and indulging in debauchery, his once-proud physique had completely fallen apart, leaving him looking bloated and gluttonous, without a trace of the wisdom and strength expected of a noble.

Originally, since the original owner was a sub-orc, this noble lord didn’t particularly value him. However, the original owner’s mother had been a good female, and because she had long been tormented to death by her lustful mate, the previous generation’s noble lord had been furious and granted the original owner a share of power. Later, perhaps due to karmic retribution, none of the noble lord’s concubines were able to bear him a child. In the end, the original owner, as the only heir, gradually took over the authority that his useless A’fu held, bit by bit.

For a sub-orc, achieving this level was no easy feat. He was also very ambitious—he wanted to take advantage of his coming-of-age to establish himself as an outstanding stone gambling master, attract a powerful male to marry into the family, revive his household, and hopefully send his A’fu off to reunite with his A’mu sooner rather than later… It was easy to imagine the pressure he carried every day. Naturally, his personality had become somewhat gloomy and withdrawn.

That was also why, when Gu Bai transmigrated and maintained a stiff, expressionless face, his servant Ya’an hadn’t noticed anything unusual!

Unfortunately, despite the original owner’s efforts, fate played a cruel joke on him. During this very stone gambling competition, he encountered the devoted second male lead he had always admired, only to find that this man loved someone else. Not only did his dream of marrying a strong male collapse, but he also repeatedly used his power to help the devoted second male lead, ultimately losing his own life in the process…

—Back to the present.
Gu Bai kept his face stiff and focused on the competition arena.
For now, he needed to locate the protagonist shou as soon as possible.

Everyone knew that protagonists always shone brightly.
If it were a typical self-indulgent novel, then unless the author was the kind of literary pretentious type who insisted on writing a tragic and miserable story, the protagonist would usually have an overpowered golden finger, crushing all opposition effortlessly. Wherever they went, they would be the first to stand out!
If it were a green-tinged, pure-hearted novel, then as long as the number of love interests lined up exceeded two, the protagonist shou would be an absolute heartthrob—suave, charming, and glowing with golden fingers! Either way, they would be the first person anyone noticed in a crowd! Even a blind man could sense the protagonist’s divine aura!

And of course, this novel was no exception.
The reborn protagonist shou, Zhu Ning, had originally been merely above-average in appearance, but in this life, his looks had been elevated to another level, reaching the upper tier. His former mental power potential had been level 6, but his new body boasted level 8. Coupled with his unwavering determination and the added effect of his burning hatred, the author described him as follows:

“Such a handsome and fair-skinned young man, with eyes as dark as night, deep within which burned an inferno—an inferno that threatened to consume himself, consume everything, and even set ablaze the very souls of those who gazed upon him… It was as if one’s heart could be seized by such a boy, never to escape again.”

Yes, it was that poetic and that exaggerated!
Simply put—everyone was staring at him! Staring, staring, staring!

Currently, the stone gambling competition featured three long rows of neatly arranged stone piles. The stones varied in size, some containing exotic stones, while others were completely ordinary. Contestants could freely select three pieces, and their ability to advance to the second round depended on whether their stones contained exotic stones and the value of those stones.

At the center of everyone’s attention was a young man dressed in black. His figure was light and agile, his features delicate and refined, making him quite good-looking. But what truly captivated people was his unique and contradictory aura.
Despite appearing to be only fifteen or sixteen, his technique in selecting raw stones was astonishingly experienced, his movements steady and composed, making people unable to resist watching—wanting to look again and again.

Gu Bai observed him for a while.
If he wasn’t mistaken, this was the protagonist shou.
To be honest… he was just another guy, so Gu Bai felt absolutely no attraction!

Recalling the original story, the original owner’s reaction upon seeing Zhu Ning had been one of admiration mixed with jealousy. Later, due to his connection with the devoted second male lead, admiration turned into bitter envy, and his emotions grew increasingly complex.
But overall, while the original owner was confident, deep down, he still felt inferior to Zhu Ning.

Pfft, Gu Bai mentally slapped himself.
What the hell was he thinking?!
If it were a cute girl, maybe he’d take a few more glances, but another guy? No thanks!

After observing for a while, the first round concluded, and the judges began assessing the results.
As expected, the black-clothed youth was indeed Zhu Ning. He had chosen three pieces, and each one contained an exotic stone—three stones, ranking at level 5 and level 6, surpassing even many professional stone gambling masters! He could now be officially evaluated as a level 5 stone gambling master!

The arena erupted in an uproar. This marked the beginning of Zhu Ning’s dazzling and glorious rise in his reborn life!

Meanwhile, Gu Bai’s eyes swiftly shifted toward the entrance.
In the original story, this was the moment when the loyal dog main gong and the devoted second male lead were supposed to enter together. The former would fall in love with Zhu Ning at first sight, while the latter would also take an interest in him…
This was the perfect opportunity to recognize those two love-struck fools!
After all, they were too busy staring at the protagonist shou to notice him!
Chance! Opportunity! Seize it!

Hmm… The one over 1.9 meters tall, with a strong and sturdy build, ruggedly handsome with a hint of innocence—this guy was definitely the loyal dog main gong… Looked pretty safe, alright, got it, he could go ahead and have his love-at-first-sight moment with the protagonist shou!
And the one about 1.9 meters tall as well… with a slender physique, a strikingly handsome face, and alluring peach blossom eyes—clearly, this one lacked a sense of security, but in reality, he was the devoted and tragic second male lead… Damn, this guy was really good-looking. Those features, that figure—so well-proportioned! Taking a few more glances shouldn’t be a problem, right…?

Gu Bai suddenly froze.
No, no, no! This wasn’t right!
He had just said he wouldn’t look at men! So why was he staring so intently now?!
More importantly—his heartbeat had sped up!
This was seriously abnormal!

Gu Bai covered his face, speechless.
He was a straight shut-in.
He was a harem novel-loving, straight shut-in.
He was a harem novel-loving, straight shut-in who liked girls.

Emphasis on straight!
Sexual preference: female!
Never in his life had he felt flustered over a man!

So here was the question.
As a straight shut-in, why the hell was he falling for a man at first sight?!
The original owner loved the devoted second male lead, but he didn’t!
Was this some kind of residual effect from transmigrating?!
Was the plot seriously forcing itself on him like this?! Was there no escape?!

For the first time since transmigrating, Gu Bai sensed an overwhelming crisis.
The problem was—he had fallen for a man.
A man who, in the original novel, did not love this body.

Gu Bai took a deep breath.
Could it be… that he was about to step into a tragic, one-sided love?
This was utterly unfair!

He turned his head, determined to take at least three minutes to process his emotions.
He needed time to accept this unexpected change in his sexual orientation.

---

“Sesil, what are you looking at?”
The tall, strong man who had been reluctantly watching the black-clothed youth leave the arena snapped out of his daze and looked at his friend in confusion.

His friend was handsome and flirtatious. Hearing his question, he smiled faintly and said, “Whatever you saw, I saw too.”

The tall man frowned. “You like him too? I won’t let you have him!”

His friend’s smile deepened. “Nois, don’t worry. Your type isn’t my type.”

At that moment, the tall man—Nois—finally realized that he and Sesil had been looking in different directions. One had been watching the competition, while the other had been looking toward the VIP section. Naturally, their objects of interest were not the same.

Nois looked a bit awkward. “Sorry, I misunderstood you.” After a pause, he added, “You know, I’ve never had feelings for anyone before. This is the first time.”

Sesil curved his lips. “I’m going to introduce myself to him. Do as you please.”

Nois was startled. “So soon?”

Sesil smiled gently. “The early bird gets the worm… Nois, you shouldn’t hesitate like that. You should know, you’re not the only one interested in him.”

Nois’s expression shifted slightly, and a trace of tension flashed across his usually serious face.

Sesil waved at him and, in the blink of an eye, had already crossed over ten meters.

Nois silently noted that Sesil’s abilities had grown stronger again… But he didn’t dwell on it for long. Instead, he made up his mind and took large strides toward the other end of the competition arena.

The handsome orc approached a pale, delicate young man and asked in a soft voice, “Have we… met before?”

Gu Bai remained expressionless and silent.
He wasn’t ready yet—why was this guy already here?!
His heartbeat was racing at 180 beats per minute—what the hell was he supposed to do now?!