All My Leads Think I’m a Scumbag [QT] - Chapter 2

Watching the object in Lu Li’s hands, every single lich lost the ability to think. Their minds were filled with only two words: “Holy crap.”

The liches had assumed that Lu Li’s hours of standing solitary under the moon were spent in deep, agonizing conflict—deciding whether to return to the room of his old flame, the God of Light, or head to the chamber of his new obsession, Lord Lane.

While the liches cursed Lu Li for being heartless and felt indignant on behalf of the God of Light, they could, from a certain perspective, understand his dilemma. After all, Sane was handsome and Lane was beautiful; one was the devoted past, the other the thrilling present. It was only human for Lu Li to be torn.

But they never expected Lu Li to produce a harp.

The instrument’s strings were woven from pure lunar essence, exquisite and ethereal. Faint trails of silvery light still pulsed along the strings; it was obvious this Moonlight Harp had just been completed. Thinking back to Lu Li standing motionless for hours, it became clear: he wasn’t hesitating. He was focused entirely on drawing moonlight to craft this gift for Lord Lane.

To think they believed he was caught between two brothers! In reality, Lu Li’s change of heart was absolute, clean, and terrifyingly efficient.

The liches were dazed. Sane, the God of Light, was a High Deity. He possessed unparalleled combat power, the most handsome face among the gods, and vast numbers of devotees in the mortal realm. He was the avatar of light—more elegant than the scorching Sun God and more refined than the freezing Frost God. He was the embodiment of perfection.

And yet, even a “predecessor” as magnificent as Sane couldn’t make Lu Li hesitate for a second? This wasn’t a “love triangle” script; from the very beginning, the heartbreaker had kicked the “discarded wife” (not really!) completely out of the story.

The liches exchanged looks that all said the same thing: Lord Sane is truly pathetic.

On the other side, Lu Li knocked on Lane’s door.

When Lane didn’t answer the first time, Lu Li didn’t panic. He simply stood there in silence for a long while. After about ten minutes, he knocked again, gently.

His movements were elegant and firm. It wasn’t an overbearing pressure, yet it conveyed an unshakable resolve.

Lu Li possessed the face of a “high mountain flower”—aloof and untouchable. Usually, his demeanor toward others was that of a distant immortal who couldn’t be plucked. Seeing him display such patience for a new love interest caused the expressions of the liches to turn very subtle indeed.

Inside his own room, because a god’s spiritual sense is overwhelmingly powerful, Sane could hear everything outside with perfect clarity. As for why the God hadn’t retracted his senses, only he knew.

Sane listened to the movements outside, his handsome face partially hidden in the shifting shadows. On the day he was “discarded,” the God’s rage had left his room in shambles. Crystal lamps, divine edicts—all had been shattered. The air had hummed with high-temperature fury, the atmosphere distorting until a vortex swallowed the mess, leaving the room pristine once more.

When Lu Li knocked for the third time, the door finally opened. Lane appeared, clad in moon-white robes.

Lane’s features were somewhat similar to Sane’s, but where Sane was “handsome,” Lane was “beautiful.” Sane was like the radiant light; Lane was like a spring breeze. The brothers each had their own distinct charm.

The moment Lane appeared, Lu Li’s cold eyes moved from Lane’s lovely face toward the instrument. He let out an imperceptible sigh of relief, his voice sounding like ice dipped in snow: “My Lord.”

Lu Li’s mission was to deliver the harp tonight. If Lane continued to avoid him, the daily task would fail, and he would face punishment. Thus, his relief at Lane’s appearance was genuine and profound.

Lane looked at Lu Li—his brother’s Holy Son—with complicated emotions. He had heard the rumors: how Lu Li had ruthlessly abandoned Sane, and how he had supposedly been blinded by lust the moment he saw Lane.

But looking at Lu Li now, Lane felt he didn’t fit the descriptions.

Lu Li had long, curled lashes, clear yet indifferent eyes, and a face that surpassed even the Gods of Love and Beauty. Lane often wondered: Just how blind would Lu Li have to be to grow tired of his own face and then fall for mine out of “lust”?

Moreover, when Lane first arrived at the temple, it was Lu Li who guided him. In most situations, Lu Li was quiet and cold. Yet, in the smallest details, Lane felt a sense of tender protection.

Once, while walking through the temple grounds as a chilly breeze blew, Lu Li had suddenly moved from Lane’s left side to his right without a word. Lane eventually couldn’t help but ask why. Lu Li had looked him in the eye—his inner intensity masked by a layer of frost and said seriously: “The wind is coming from the right.”

“It’s just a bit of wind,” Lane had replied. It was then he truly began to think the rumors might be true: perhaps the cold Holy Son really did harbor feelings for him, to the point of guarding him against a mere breeze.

Lu Li simply said: “You are a guest.”

He then continued to use his slender frame to shield Lane from the draft, his robes fluttering in the wind. He even pulled a rose-flavored candy from his sleeve: “The climate here is dry, and the wind lacks moisture. You should have some candy to soothe your throat.”

Lane had taken the candy, the translucent rose-red color contrasting with Lu Li’s flawless hand. He was stunned. A “guest”? Would the dignified Holy Son of Light treat a mere guest with such meticulous care?

Not just the gossiping liches, but even Lane himself was now convinced Lu Li was trying to woo him.

Lane gripped the candy and tried to sound casual. “Do you give candy to every guest who visits?”

“No. Only to you (plural/them),” Lu Li answered with total honesty. He wasn’t used to lying; it was exactly why he had been chosen by the Support System.

Lane was struck dumb. The word “them” was the soul of the sentence. Others would say “Only you,” but Lu Li said “Only you all.”

If it’s plural, what’s the point of using the word “only”?

Lane knew immediately that Lu Li was referring to his brother, Sane. It was only then that Lane began to accept that the seemingly noble Lu Li might truly be capable of such things. He had discarded the older brother and was now moving on to the younger.

Agitated, Lane had lost all interest in wandering and said coldly, “I’m tired. I’m going back to rest.”

Anyone could see the rejection, but as a “Supporter,” Lu Li only worried about Lane’s health. He asked with concern: “Are you alright? There’s a path to the left that’s a shortcut to your room. I’ll lead you.”

Seeing the irrepressible care in Lu Li’s eyes and his pure, saintly aura, Lane felt even more stifled. Lu Li, he looks like the type to be cold, noble, and devoted to one person for a lifetime. How, how can he act like this?

He’s already admitted to his secret history with my brother, and now he’s hovering over me? Using the plural “them” does he intend to have us both?

Lane had avoided Lu Li for an entire day since then. He thought that after such a blatant rejection, someone as proud and famous as the Holy Son would never come looking for him again.

He was wrong.

Lane had intended to ignore the knocking, but the longer he stayed in his room, the more restless he became. He didn’t want to hear the knocking, yet he was terrified it would stop. Finally, he opened the door. He expected Lu Li to complain about being avoided; instead, Lu Li merely gave him one fervent look before calmly averting his gaze.

Lane was captivated by that look. For a split second, he felt he saw a profound, deep-seated love in Lu Li’s eyes—a love that held no resentment despite multiple rejections, and a love so careful it turned away quickly to avoid causing him any distress.

Lane stood in silence, unsure of what to say.

Lu Li held out the harp. “That day, you said you liked music. This is the Moonlight Harp. See if it suits you.”

Lane’s gaze shifted to the instrument. It was magnificent, yet it couldn’t compare to a fraction of the person holding it.

The hidden liches were certain Lord Lane would refuse. Lu Li just dumped Sane; anyone who takes that gift is a fool.

To their shock, Lane actually reached out and took the harp, forcing his voice to remain steady. “Thank you.”

The liches: “?”

“Does Lord Lane not know what Lu Li did? How can he accept the gift? Is he not afraid of being dumped too?”

“No.” one zen-like lich said slowly. “If it were me, I’d take it too. Didn’t you notice? That is the final masterpiece crafted by the God of Music before he fell. He poured most of his divine power into it, but ordinary strings couldn’t withstand the pressure. Lu Li used moonlight for the strings, that harp is a Divine Artifact of this world.”

The liches: “!!!”

As Lane took the harp, he finally realized its true value. He immediately tried to push it back. “You’re giving me something this precious, but I cannot give you what you want in return. You should take it back, quickly.”

Lu Li felt that something was “off” about those words. He hadn’t expected to get anything from Lane.

Lane was his Support Target, nothing more. Wait, Lu Li wondered, has Lane also been listening to those rumors? Does he think I’m trying to court him?

He clarified, “I am giving you this harp simply as a meeting gift. It serves no other purpose, and you need not give me anything in return.”

The moment he said this, the liches turned green with envy.

It’s one thing to deal with a high-level scumbag, but a scumbag with peak emotional intelligence and a bottomless bank account? That’s just cheating.

“No wonder Lord Sane was dumped so hard. Lu Li gives out Divine Artifacts just as ‘meeting gifts’ for Lord Lane. What on earth would he give if they actually made it official?”

“Is this really ‘lust at first sight’? Or is it true love? Poor Lord Sane.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourselves,” the zen-like lich interjected with a live commentary. “Have you forgotten that our entire tribe was a gift from Lu Li to Lord Sane? In terms of sheer value, it’s not certain that Lord Lane’s gift is actually more expensive than what Sane received.”

“Uh, so Lu Li is definitely a fickle playboy then. Giving such extravagant gifts every time he chases someone—isn’t he afraid of going bankrupt and losing both the money and the person?”

Despite their grumbling, every lich looked at Lu Li’s world-toppling beauty and knew that was impossible.

While the liches bickered, Lane found he couldn’t go against his own heart. He clutched the harp. “This is too much, but thank you.”

With his daily task finally complete, the weight lifted from Lu Li’s heart. He simply replied, “It is only what I should do.”

He meant it literally—as a Supporter, this was his job. Lu Li was the perfect host for the Support System: obedient yet firm, highly capable, and skilled at maintaining a harmonious relationship with the Protagonist.

At that moment, the transparent dome of the temple revealed a brilliant galaxy. The Milky Way was a river of shimmering stars, casting a radiant glow. Standing beneath the starlight, Lu Li looked like the crowning masterpiece of the God of Love and Beauty—the most dazzling existence under the sky.

To be pursued by such a person, Lane’s expression was conflicted. Can I really resist such an offensive? Perhaps, without even noticing, his heart was already beginning to sink.

Lane asked softly, “An artifact of the God of Music, why did you choose to give such a heavy gift to me? If you give it to me, what will you use to protect yourself?”

Lane was suddenly worried. If Lu Li truly loved him so much that he gave away his best treasures, what would happen to him?

The conversation was veering into dangerous territory. Even the “single-for-life” liches knew this was bad news. Lane should have taken the gift and slammed the door; staying to chat was a surefire sign he was about to be won over.

Lord Sane, you are truly pathetic.

In the future, your ‘wife’ is going to be your sister-in-law. Better get that green hat ready, the liches thought mournfully.

Sane, spying from his room, had clearly reached the same conclusion. He swung the door open and strode out, radiating the overwhelming presence of a god. Whether his heart was bleeding, only he knew.

“An artifact of the Music God?” Sane walked over, casting a seemingly casual glance at the Moonlight Harp. “Lane, you needn’t worry about him. Lu Li fought by my side for years; his personal treasury is vast. A Divine Artifact is a perfectly appropriate meeting gift for him to give.”

He offered a faint, graceful smile, the picture of divine poise. “In the past, Lu Li gave me the Tears of the Goddess of Luck, the Armor of the God of War, he can afford these things. Don’t worry about him running out of wealth just because of one artifact. Don’t overthink it.”

The liches were practically trembling with excitement.

Lord Sane, every word he says is a dagger!

The subtext was clear: Lu Li gave me tons of things, and you only got one. So don’t flatter yourself.

The liches were dazed. It turned out gods didn’t just know how to wage war; they were experts at professional jealousy, too.

Lane’s heart suddenly felt heavy. He looked at Lu Li. Lu Li remained calm and didn’t offer a rebuttal, which meant everything Sane said was likely true.

So, he didn’t fall in love with me at first sight and abandon his brother just for me?

Lane’s expression soured. Driven by a sudden, frustrated impulse, he actually asked Lu Li: “Is what my brother said true?”

His tone carried the sharp irritation of someone who felt they were being played by a heartless flirt.

Lu Li stood silently, his scalp tingling. He felt helpless; what Sane said was, of course, true. For three years, he had given Sane gifts for every birthday and holiday. Since Sane was the God of Light, Lu Li obviously had to pick the absolute best items.

Lu Li felt he had done nothing wrong, but sensing Lane’s growing anger, he hesitated to speak. He lowered his eyes, carefully weighing his words.

Sane, meanwhile, gracefully added fuel to the fire: “It’s true, of course. In fact, last year he intended to give me a harp, but for some reason, he didn’t. I wonder if this is the one.”

The liches: Brutal!! Lord Sane really does have the aura of the Main Wife!

Lane stared at Lu Li, enunciating every word: “Is. My. Brother. Telling. The. Truth?”

While Sane was the God of Light, Lane was the God of the Spring Breeze, albeit of a lower rank. At that moment, the wind within the temple surged, blowing the tree branches into a frenzy.

The liches held their breath. Dozens of eyes were fixed on Lu Li, dying to know: The old flame or the new love—who will you defend?