The Aloof Junior Brother I Was Supposed To Be Is Actually A Hopeless Romantic! - Chapter 1

[Note: This is a Dual Male Lead story. If you have entered by mistake, run while you can.]

In the lands of Shu, the bitter winter had finally passed. With the arrival of spring, withered trees sprouted tender green shoots, adding touches of life to the desolate earth.

Emerald Bamboo Peak, covered in vast stretches of verdant groves, displayed a stubborn vitality that never lost its lush color regardless of the season. At this moment, on a small path halfway up the mountain, a handsome youth dressed in blue and white Daoist robes carried a child about eight or nine years old in his arms.

The youth was in a grand mood, humming a cheerful tune as his long legs carried him deep into the forest with light steps. The child being carried blushed a deep red; he was no longer a toddler of two or three. He had reached an age where he could run swiftly, and being carried like this made him feel as though even a passing dog would laugh at him.

“Senior Brother, Zhimu can walk on his own. You do not need to carry me.”

“Eh! Emerald Bamboo Peak is right ahead. I have carried you this far; if I set you down now, would all my previous efforts not go to waste?”

Chen Ji’s lips curved slightly. His was a mouth naturally suited for smiling; when he did, even the cold wind brushing against his cheeks seemed to lose its chill.

“Then, then I shall have to trouble Senior Brother.” Faced with that smile, Feng Zhimu conceded defeat.

Seeing the boy’s adorable expression, Chen Ji let out an internal scream of excitement. Six years! The most powerful supporting character in the novel, Supporting Character No. 1, had finally arrived!

Six years ago, on a rainy night, Chen Ji had woken up in a pile of corpses. He was confusedly brought to the Tianyun Sect, and after listening to the words of a group of old Daoists who looked like transcendent immortals, he finally realized he had not been tricked by his friends into an elaborate prank on a historical movie set. He had transmigrated into a book!

Specifically, he had entered the most frustrating Xianxia novel he had ever read. The reason was simple: the ending was a total wipeout where no one survived.

After reading it, Chen Ji had wanted to write a thousand word review attacking the author. However, just as his hands touched the keyboard, his vision went black. The rest went without saying.

He had become the Senior Brother of both the Great Antagonist and the Male Lead, a supporting character with the same name as himself. In the novel, Chen Ji was sandwiched between the two powerhouses, possessing zero presence in the shadow of their brilliance, and was destined for an early grave.

Knowing the ending and realizing he was not a powerful character, and lacked a Golden Finger cheat system, Chen Ji had started slacking off from day one. That was until he was heavily injured by a demon. He thought his journey had ended there, only to wake up fully healed.

At that moment, six golden words appeared before his eyes: [Break the stalemate to form the game.]

Given that he had died twice and returned to full health both times, Chen Ji finally understood: his purpose was to change the ending of the book. As long as the ending remained unchanged, he could not die.

Chen Ji racked his brain but could not think of a way to change the outcome. He had inherited the uselessness of the original supporting character. Defeating the antagonist and the male lead on his own was impossible. Then, he remembered Feng Zhimu.

Feng Zhimu was the only character capable of standing toe to toe with the two leads. He had several times turned the tide and saved the common people. While reading, Chen Ji felt that Feng Zhimu was the true hero who could reverse all misfortune, but the ending had slapped his expectations in the face.

Living within the book, Chen Ji could only place his hopes on Feng Zhimu. If he gave all the early game opportunities to him, turning him into the protagonist would not be a dream! His joy was so immense he could hardly suppress it.

In his excitement, he failed to notice a youth in black staring at him from within the bamboo forest. The youth’s gaze was icy as he parted his thin lips. “Senior Brother, who is that in your arms?”

The cold voice abruptly cut through Chen Ji’s thoughts. He followed the sound to see the youth standing among the emerald stalks. The youth’s handsome face was framed by lowered sword like brows, and his dark pupils, devoid of any emotional ripple, resembled deep, bottomless lakes, cold and mysterious. Dressed in tight fitting black robes, he exuded the chilling pressure of a soul reaper from the underworld.

This was none other than the story’s great antagonist, Qiu Lingzhou.

“Soften your expression,” Chen Ji lectured. “This is Master’s new disciple, our Junior Brother, Feng Zhimu. Your gaze is so fierce; are you planning to eat him?”

Faced with Qiu Lingzhou’s hostile eyes, Feng Zhimu greeted him timidly. “Greetings, Second Senior Brother.”

“Mumu, he is Third Senior Brother, Qiu Lingzhou. Your Second Senior Brother, Liu Jingyun, is at home,” Chen Ji corrected.

Feng Zhimu quickly corrected himself. “Greetings, Third Senior Brother.”

The polite greeting did not bring a shred of warmth to Qiu Lingzhou’s eyes. He asked coldly, “Why does Junior Brother need to be carried? Are his legs broken? If not, I can assist you.”

“I told you to rein it in! Still acting fierce, are you?” Chen Ji snapped, slapping the back of Qiu Lingzhou’s head.

The eyes that were previously cold as a venomous snake instantly filled with grievance and moisture. “When I was his age, you stopped carrying me, Senior Brother. What makes him so special?”

Their master, Hai Yangzi, was unreliable. After Chen Ji joined, the master had taken in Liu Jingyun and Qiu Lingzhou, dropped a few manuals, and left to wander the world. Chen Ji had raised the two problem children like both a father and a mother. Though Qiu Lingzhou was acting spoiled and jealous now, it was only because he was young. Once he blackened in the future, no one would be able to stop him.

“He is special because he is the youngest. Can you even compare? You are only five years younger than me, but you have grown taller than me! How am I supposed to carry you? It would be more fitting for you to carry me!” Chen Ji scolded.

Qiu Lingzhou spread his hands. “That is not impossible.”

“I have a sense of shame!” Chen Ji did not bother wasting more words. “The wind is strong here, and Junior Brother is dressed thinly. He cannot handle the chill. Let us return to Emerald Bamboo Peak first!”

With that, he carried Feng Zhimu further into the forest. Qiu Lingzhou dropped his aggrieved act, and his gaze toward Feng Zhimu became vicious once more. Catching that look, Feng Zhimu tightened his hold on Chen Ji.

Before long, the group stepped through the gates of Emerald Bamboo Peak. Just as Chen Ji’s back foot cleared the threshold, a thunderous boom echoed from the courtyard. Chen Ji’s expression shifted drastically as he looked toward the source of the noise, only to see a small shack slowly collapsing amidst a cloud of dust.

“Liu! Jing! Yun! How many times have I told you to watch the house when you practice your sword? Stop tearing the place down!”

In the courtyard, a youth in white stood holding a sword. He was so strikingly handsome that he perfectly embodied the phrase: A gentleman as flawless as jade, unparalleled in this world.

Full of the high spirits of a seventeen year old, he wore white robes and had his raven black hair tied up. He stood tall and upright like an immortal descended to earth, possessing an extraordinary and refined aura. He was the male lead, Liu Jingyun.

However, his transcendent appearance did not earn him any leniency from Chen Ji regarding his evil deeds. Every time he practiced his sword, he managed to demolish a house. He was supposedly a sword immortal reincarnated, but anyone watching would think he was a Siberian Husky reincarnated!

“Senior Brother,” Qiu Lingzhou said, lightly poking Chen Ji’s shoulder. “It seems the house Liu Dog demolished this time belongs to me.”

“If he demolished your house, why are you talking to me? Go settle the score with him yourself!”