After the Stand-in Hugged the White Moonlight's Thigh Tightly - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: When you smile, you don’t look like him at all.

“Ruoyue, when you smile, you don’t look like him at all. A counterfeit is a counterfeit after all.” These were the words Shen Yanyuan said to Ruan Mingyu a year ago when he left.

Ruan Mingyu didn’t speak, he just smiled persistently, showing eight teeth, and then, under Shen Yanyuan’s doubtful gaze, he said against his will: “Revered Master, come back soon, I will miss you.”

Yes, Ruan Mingyu is a transmigrator, and he transmigrated into an old-school Danmei (BL) web novel!

He remembered it clearly only because the villainous stand-in in the book shared his exact name.

The protagonist in the book is named Song Chenxi, the White Moonlight in everyone’s hearts in the melodramatic work The Darling White Moonlight of the Entire Cultivation World, or more commonly known as a magnet for affection.

A magnet for affection is naturally loved by everyone, which inevitably leads to intense competition among the various suitors. So, how are the cultivators who can’t win over the magnet for affection supposed to cope? Naturally, by finding a stand-in.

And Ruan Mingyu just so happened to be the villainous stand-in in the book. Unlike the tragic stand-in, he was a willing stand-in in the book, solely because of his deep love for Cultivator-One, Shen Yanyuan. This love led to extreme jealousy of Song Chenxi. Under a twisted psyche, he pulled off all sorts of outrageous stunts, eventually reaping the consequences, exploding and dying from consuming too many miraculous elixirs. He was utterly dead, and the original text even dedicated an entire chapter to describing his miserable death.

As for Ruoyue, that was the name given to him by Cultivator-One, Shen Yanyuan. In fact, one could tell Shen Yanyuan’s attitude toward him from this name alone: he was merely a stand-in.

…

Three months later, deep winter had arrived, and the world was covered in snow and ice.

The maid Xiaowei pulled her padded jacket tighter and walked through the winding corridors to the pond behind the mountain to deliver the good news to Young Master Ruoyue that Shen Yanyuan would be returning.

Ruoyue was brought back by Shen Yanyuan three years ago. At the time, he was still a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy. Everyone on Lu Peak was surprised at their first sight of him; his features bore a resemblance to Shen Yanyuan’s younger martial brother, who was as pure and bright as the moon and the wind.

He might have known he was just a stand-in, so he had people investigate the temperament and habits of that martial brother and imitated him, but even so, Shen Yanyuan never paid him much attention.

However, Xiaowei felt that Young Master Ruoyue had suddenly changed into a different person about a year ago, although she couldn’t quite put her finger on what was wrong.

She finally arrived at the back of the mountain. A person was sitting alone by the pond, bundled up in layers of clothing—fox fur, scarf, gloves, and hat—looking like a fluffy ball from a distance.

Xiaowei called out, “Young Master Ruoyue!”

The person turned around. The young man undoubtedly had a good appearance, with pretty features and eyes that drooped slightly at the corners, making him look pitiful and adorable.

Ruan Mingyu set the fishing rod aside. He was naturally fond of smiling. He looked up, smiling, and asked, “Xiaowei, what is it?”

“Young Master, did you take your medicine today?”

Ruan Mingyu had a congenital weakness and poor health. Since Shen Yanyuan brought him back, he had been making him take medicine, supposedly to prolong his life.

Ruan Mingyu nodded.

Xiaowei excitedly added, “The Revered Master sent a message. He will be returning soon! Young Master, you’ll see him right away!”

Ruan Mingyu’s smile froze on his face. Who the hell wanted to see that rotten person? He wished he wouldn’t come back.

But he still said aloud, “It’s good that he’s coming back…” Yet, why was there a hint of resentment in his tone?

“Young Master, did you catch any fish?” Xiaowei asked.

“I will catch some,” Ruan Mingyu said.

Going fishing in the freezing cold of winter—was it because he loved fishing so much that he had to be a fishing enthusiast even in the snow? No, it was because he was too bored!

Ruan Mingyu was someone who couldn’t sit still. He usually loved to talk and babble. After arriving in this broken place, in order not to reveal his abnormality, he had to forcibly suppress the urge to chatter with people and instead isolated himself.

Before Ruan Mingyu transmigrated, he was just an ordinary medical student. He had finally endured until graduation, only to be suddenly sold off and sent to this unfamiliar world. He was imprisoned in this tiny little corner of the world. He called out to the heavens, but no one answered; he called out to the earth, but no one helped. Why did he have to suffer all this?

Ruan Mingyu gripped the fishing rod. Since Shen Yanyuan was about to return, he figured he needed to speed up his plans. He told Xiaowei, “I want to stay alone for a while. Don’t come looking for me if I’m late coming back tonight.”

Xiaowei nodded, thinking that Ruoyue must be desperately in love with the Revered Master. His eyes had changed when he heard the news of his return. Alas, it’s a pity that the flower is willing, but the stream is indifferent.

After Xiaowei left, Ruan Mingyu pulled up the fishing rod, only to see that the fishing line was empty, without even a hook. He then threw all the bait into the pond, made sure no one was around, and secretly left.

Ruan Mingyu struggled to walk in the wind and snow. Even though he was heavily bundled, the tip of his nose was still frozen red.

After about half an hour of walking, snow had settled on Ruan Mingyu’s eyelashes. He didn’t bother to shake the snow off his clothes and walked straight into a birch forest. The birch forest was endless, the branch tips embroidered with snow, making it feel like he had wandered into a world of ice and snow with no end in sight.

He didn’t know how long he walked, but he finally reached the edge of the forest, which was also the boundary of Lu Peak’s enchantment.

He had spent nearly a year coming here every day just to break through the enchantment and find an opportunity to leave. Shen Yanyuan treated him like a pet, providing food and drink but no freedom. Ruan Mingyu didn’t want to be trapped here anymore.

He had to get out.

Although Shen Yanyuan hadn’t taught him any immortal magic, Ruan Mingyu had secretly learned some on his own.

Give him one more month, and he would definitely be able to breach the weakest point of this enchantment, but Shen Yanyuan was coming back soon; he didn’t have much time.

He used the stolen techniques to attack the enchantment’s weakest point. Unknowingly, dusk was setting, and Ruan Mingyu had to return.

He was retracing his steps, but with things on his mind, he accidentally took a wrong turn.

After walking two more steps, he suddenly sensed a different aura in the air.

As if guided by fate, Ruan Mingyu proceeded solely on instinct. He passed through the dense forest and finally discovered a figure by an ice spring.

The person was sitting in meditation with their eyes closed, seemingly cultivating.

But a black aura lingered around him.

Was that… Demonic Energy?

The sect Ruan Mingyu was currently in was called the Seven Stars Sect, a reputable sect in the cultivation world.

In this so-called prestigious, righteous sect, would someone secretly cultivate the Demonic Path?

Ruan Mingyu felt like he had uncovered an immense secret.

He hid in the shadows, continuing to look forward. Under the moonlight, the person wore white robes, his sleeves fluttering, like an immortal.

Just as Ruan Mingyu continued to peer, the person turned their head.

Oh no!

Ruan Mingyu retreated two steps, his foot accidentally stepping on a dry branch, making a rustling sound.

The person moved with a ghostly swiftness, appearing in front of Ruan Mingyu almost instantly. Ruan Mingyu finally saw his face clearly—it was a face that bore some resemblance to his own.

His voice rang in Ruan Mingyu’s ear:

“Oh, you found me.”