All My Leads Think I’m a Scumbag [QT] - Chapter 1

Nightfall. A gentle, clear moonlight blanketed the earth, casting a hazy glow upon the leaves. Shifting shadows danced between the branches, creating a scene reminiscent of a celestial fairyland.

Inside the temple, Lu Li stood beneath a transparent dome, gazing up at the starry sky. The silvery moonlight spilled over his long black hair and snow-white robes, making him appear as pure as ice and as ethereal as a being who lived only on wind and dew.

In the distance, a few liches huddled together, nudging one another and exchanging looks. “How long has the Holy Son been standing there?”

“Probably two hours now.”

“Wow! Hehe, tell me, who do you think he’s waiting for?” one lich gossiped excitedly. “To the left is the chamber of Lord Sane, the God of Light. To the right is the chamber of Lord Lane, the God’s younger brother!”

One lich contemplated for a moment. “I think he’s here for Lord Sane. After all, they’ve been ‘together’ for so long. He used to devote himself entirely to Sane. Take us liches, for example—didn’t he subdue our tribe just to give us to Lord Sane as a birthday present?”

“What the hell? We were a birthday gift?” another lich cried out indignantly. “I freaking thought Lu Li recruited us for the God of Light because he scouted our talent! Damn it, it wasn’t enough that he came to our lands and beat us to a pulp; he did it just to use us to make his lover happy? Cursed couples. I hope they break up soon!”

“Isn’t that already over?” another, more zen-like lich said slowly. “It’s not like you didn’t see how Lu Li dumped Lord Sane.”

Recalling the scene from that day, the liches looked at Lu Li’s cold, transcendent face and felt a chill run down their spines.

That morning, Lu Li and Lord Sane had been perfectly in tune. When Sane mentioned he liked bamboo shoots, Lu Li moved every single shoot from his own plate to Sane’s. Sane then insisted Lu Li wasn’t eating enough, shared his own food back, and even whispered that since Lu Li’s hand had been injured before, he would feed him bite by bite. The atmosphere between them was so sweet it made onlookers envious.

Yet that afternoon, the moment Lord Sane’s younger brother arrived and stepped off his pegasus, Lu Li—who had been standing right next to Sane—dashed forward. Holding up an umbrella, he said softly, “The wind is strong today; please be careful, My Lord.”

From that moment on, Lu Li personally handled every detail of Lord Lane’s stay, from his housing to his meals, throughout the entire process, he never spared Lord Sane a single glance.

From deep passion to total coldness, there hadn’t been a single second of transition.

When Lord Sane eventually went to find him, Lu Li simply said: “Please do not obstruct my loyalty to Lord Lane.”

Sane, unable to hold back, let out a low growl. “And what about me? What are we?”

Lu Li replied calmly, “There is nothing between us.”

Sane: “…”

The Liches: “…”

It was truly a masterclass in ruthlessness. It was one thing to switch affections in an instant without any buildup, but to outright deny the past with the old flame just to chase the new one? That was a “Pro Gamer Move” if they ever saw one.

Perhaps because Sane’s plight was so pathetic, even the single-dog liches couldn’t find it in themselves to celebrate his breakup. Instead, they felt a sense of shared sorrow—a “grief for their own kind.”

If we ever find girlfriends, they won’t treat us like this, will they?

The liches stared at Lu Li. One second they were captivated by his beauty; the next, they broke into a cold sweat. Lord Sane was a living warning—why were they mooning over Lu Li?

Admittedly, every male, female, and genderless lich thought Lu Li was breathtaking. He was as clear as the moon and colder than the winter mountains, appearing more transcendent than even the God of Frost and Snow. He looked like a deity who didn’t eat the food of mortals, yet who would have guessed he was the type to aggressively pursue a lover, act all lovey-dovey, and then dump them without a second thought?

The contrast was simply too great. You look like a saint, yet you act like a demon.

The liches collectively decided that good-looking people were far too unstable. They needed to find “economical” partners—like the ugly companions standing right next to them. Slowly, the liches edged a bit closer to each other.

On the other side of the courtyard, Lu Li was actually absorbing moonlight. In his hands was a tiny harp; he needed to draw the lunar essence to string the instrument.

His daily quest today was to give this harp to Lane.

Lu Li was a “Task-Taker,” forcibly bound to a system called the Support System. It required him to serve the Protagonist with his whole heart and soul. The problem was, a while back, the System had identified the wrong target.

Lu Li had stayed by the side of Sane, the God of Light, for a long time, helping him conquer the Divine Realm. He had made sacrifices and shed blood for Sane and then the System told him he had been supporting the wrong person?

After briefly “greeting” the System’s eyesight with a few choice words, Lu Li had no choice but to start supporting the new target.

Furthermore, because the Support System had a strict rule—The host must be loyal to the target and must not maintain subordinate or “other” relationships with anyone else—Lu Li had to sever ties with Sane completely.

Thus, in everyone else’s eyes, Lu Li was a total scumbag.

Lu Li bore the blame in silence; some things only got messier the more you tried to explain them. Fortunately, he told himself, Sane surely knew their relationship had always been platonic. They had never actually dated. Sane had simply lost a capable assistant; he wouldn’t be that heartbroken, probably.

When the moon reached its zenith, brilliant lunar rays poured into the harp. One by one, silver-white strings shimmering with light appeared on the frame.

The strings were complete. Now, he had to deliver it.

Lu Li turned away from the moon. Behind him was a pale yellow orb; his clothes were white as snow, and his ink-black hair was tied neatly, draping down his back. He walked down the central path toward the residential area of the temple.

The liches on guard duty grew tense, exchanging frantic glances. “Do you think he’ll turn right for Lord Sane or left for Lord Lane?”

“If it were me, I’d go to Lord Sane. He’s the God of Light, worshipped by thousands. He radiates light and warmth; just being near him makes you feel safe.”

“I’d pick Lord Lane. Not only is his temperament gentle, but most importantly, he’s beautiful.”

“One is the old flame he was so intimate with, and the other is the new crush he’s currently chasing. It’s hard to say.”

While the liches babbled on, Lu Li reached the fork in the road. Right for Sane, left for Lane.

Just as everyone held their breath to see which way he would turn, Lord Sane’s door opened automatically.

Lu Li: “…”

The gossip-hungry liches: “…”

What a silent, grand invitation. It was the epitome of the saying: “If the scumbag won’t come to me, I shall present myself to the scumbag.”

The liches all gave the God of Light a mental thumbs-up.

Think about it—the dignified God of Light had personally opened his door in the dead of night to drop a hint. What man could resist that?

But Lu Li resisted. His expression remained calm and indifferent, as if there wasn’t a single ripple in his heart. His heart was truly like iron, a boulder that would not shift.

Lu Li turned his steps. He was clearly heading left.

The liches grumbled internally. “Looks like the new flame is more important. Lord Sane is being completely discarded.”

That solitary, open door seemed to mirror Lord Sane’s lonely heart.

Just when the liches thought the matter was settled and Lu Li was going to Lane’s room, a deep, pleasant voice rang out:

“Holy Son, it is late. Won’t you come in and sit for a while?”

A tall man with sharp brows and starry eyes—carrying the natural dignity and majesty of a god—stood at the doorway. He showed no signs of the agony of being dumped; instead, he looked confident and composed, radiating an undeniable presence.

This was the God of Light—a god who, despite his youth, had already joined the ranks of the High Deities.

Even the liches couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for him now.

Good heavens, the gossiping liches thought, look at what Lu Li has driven the honest God of Light to. A dignified deity, forced to suppress the agony of being discarded, acting as if nothing were wrong in the dead of night just to win back Lu Li’s heart.

In truth, Lu Li’s skin was also crawling. Why is Sane still awake at this hour?

He lowered his eyes, instinctively wanting to avoid a confrontation. “I won’t come in. I have business to attend to.”

The moment the words left his lips, he turned his back on Sane and walked toward Lane’s room.

A flicker of light crossed Sane’s eyes. “Are you going to see Lane? Let us go together.”

The liches schemed internally: Lord Sane is brilliant! He is Lane’s older brother AND Lu Li’s ex-lover. If he goes along, there’s no way Lord Lane will fall for Lu Li’s charms. Once the “new flame” fizzles out, Lu Li will have no choice but to crawl back into Lord Sane’s arms!

To their horror, Lu Li refused. “I should go alone.”

Sane hadn’t expected such a blunt answer, yet upon reflection, it felt tragically inevitable. Hadn’t Lu Li rejected every one of his advances lately?

This time, however, Sane refused to yield. He fixed Lu Li with a steady gaze. “Why? Is there something you’re doing with Lane that would be inconvenient for me to witness?”

“Yes,” Lu Li nodded.

Sane froze. He clearly hadn’t expected Lu Li to be so heartless. A flash of genuine hurt crossed his eyes.

The liches were absolutely floored. Is this man really the Holy Son of Light? Logically, the God of Light was his superior. Now, not only was he abandoning his boss, but he was being so “scummy” about it that he didn’t even bother to hide it.

You’re visiting your new lover in the middle of the night—at least give your ex a half-hearted excuse! Why be so blunt? Poor Lord Sane, his sincere heart has been tossed into the gutter.

While Lu Li’s face remained cold and detached as he said “Yes,” he was actually panicking internally.

Is it really okay to reject Sane this harshly? But the System’s quest specifically stated he had to deliver the harp to Lane alone. He had no choice.

Furthermore, since his “Support Target” had changed, he could no longer swear fealty to Sane. Being direct was the kindest option; hesitating or leading Sane on would only cause more harm. Thinking this, Lu Li steadied his resolve. His pale, transcendent features betrayed not a hint of guilt.

Sane’s hurt lasted only a second. He had opened his door, he had come out personally to invite him, and he had been rejected twice. He couldn’t keep pestering him—he was a God, and he had his pride.

Sane immediately regained his composure. He raised his voice just enough so that Lane, inside the room, would hear him: “If it’s inconvenient, then forget it. After all, you used to come to my room late at night to play the harp for me quite often. Perhaps we played too much and you’ve grown bored; it’s only natural to seek out some variety.”

Having said his piece, he nodded to Lu Li. “Have fun. Watch your health. I shall go rest now.”

Lu Li felt the words were strange. It was as if Sane had suddenly radiated the aura of a “Main Consort.”

In his mind, he pictured a dignified Empress advising the Emperor: “Your Majesty, please do enjoy yourself at the Consort’s quarters, but do mind your health. You mustn’t overindulge; your ‘royal dragon body’ is precious.”

“As for me? I don’t mind. I have enjoyed Your Majesty’s exclusive favor for so long; it is only right that you seek a little ‘freshness’ elsewhere once in a while. I shall not take it to heart.”

Lu Li shuddered at his own imagination. Sane was the God of Light—righteous, upright, and noble. How could he possibly be such a passive-aggressive, scheming “palace wife”?

Sane turned and strode back to his room. He looked cool and collected, but in reality, he nearly turned back three times, hoping Lu Li would call out to stop him.

Behind him, there was finally movement.

Lu Li’s robes rustled as he walked toward Lane’s room without a moment’s hesitation. Sensing this, Sane’s thin lips pressed into a tight line. The moment he entered his room and shut the door, the crystal lanterns inside shattered with a violent boom.

Lu Li approached Lane’s door, the harp cradled in his palms.

The night-watch liches whispered frantically: “Lord Lane definitely heard what Sane said. Plus, he must have heard rumors about how Lu Li treated his brother lately.”

“Exactly! Lord Lane will never give the time of day to a fickle, heartless person like Lu Li.”

As the liches gossiped, they saw a flash of light in Lu Li’s hand as he pulled something out.

The liches: “HOLY CRAP?”