Winning the male lead

Maybe that’s just how life is—ups and downs, and more downs, downs, downs.

The system, in its isolated world, had achieved a state of inner peace, merging with the universe. It had finally reached enlightenment and understood—this wasn’t the world’s problem, it was his problem. No matter what world it threw Le Tian into, he would always be like this.

It no longer regretted throwing him into this world. Instead, it regretted ever capturing him in the first place.

Those top-tier systems were all formidable figures within the Alliance. The system itself was only slightly above average. How could it have misjudged itself so badly, thinking the seniors just couldn’t catch this guy? Clearly, they didn’t want to catch him!

It was suffering…

Le Tian hadn’t been with Land for a while, and he felt great. Land was still holding a grudge, and his actions were rougher than before. Combined with the damp, dark environment, Le Tian felt like he was having a clandestine affair. The thrill was exhilarating, especially with Land not wearing his holy robes. Dressed in half-removed hunting gear, he truly gave Le Tian the shameful illusion of being ravished by a strange hunter.

Land, for once, didn’t say anything dirty. He remained completely silent. No matter how much Le Tian called out, he only responded by biting him.

Le Tian didn’t mind. You bite me, I’ll bite you back.

The rough stone floor scraped against his delicate skin. He whimpered in pain, and Land bit down on his shoulder again. “That hurts? Do you even know—” Do you know how much it hurt when you left me? He swallowed back the words and instead focused on making Le Tian feel even more pain.

In the pitch-black cave, muffled moans and the sounds of bodies colliding intertwined. Outside, the heavy rain had already stopped, revealing a vast blue sky. Sunlight crept into the cave, inching over Land’s cascading silver hair, Le Tian’s trembling toes, his fluttering eyelashes, and his bruised, blood-red lips. What was once shrouded in darkness gradually became clear.

Le Tian clung to Land’s neck. “I—I won’t ever leave you again.” Land bit down on his neck and finally spoke. “If you lie to me, I’ll kill you.”

Le Tian tilted his head back, golden hair spilling behind him, and let out a scream as if he were dying, before completely going limp. Land caught him, letting him rest against his shoulder. His voice finally softened.

“…Don’t ever break my heart again. I really love you.”

Le Tian had already passed out and didn’t hear a word of it.

When he woke up again, he saw the ceiling mirror and immediately brightened. “Ha! I’m back! Mom never has to worry about me being abandoned again!”

The system: “…Never worried.”

It was exhausted. Drowning in self-doubt. Why was I so stupid? Why did I have to capture Le Tian? There are so many fugitives, why did I pick the weirdest one?

Le Tian: “Huh? Are you my mom? I don’t remember that.”

System: …Unfilial child…

The Holy Pope wasn’t around, so Le Tian got up, casually took a bath, threw on one of Land’s silver robes, slipped on his slippers, and walked out as if he owned the place. Stretching as he exited the overlapping palace halls, he suddenly felt that something was off.

Stepping outside, he saw that the palace doors were sealed.

Le Tian: …

Where the grand entrance once stood, a glowing holy barrier had been erected, crackling with sparks and lightning. He had no doubt that if he touched it, he’d be fried medium-well.

Clearly, Land intended to trap him here.

His expression darkened.

The system, knowing him all too well, calmly asked, “Do you like it?”

Le Tian grinned, instantly sweeping away his gloom. “I love it!”

It knew it… This man was only ever truly interested in a life of leisure. No matter where he went, things always seemed to end up in a captivity play.

Unbothered, Le Tian strolled back inside. The wind rustled some thin papers on Land’s desk, one drifting to his feet. He picked it up—it was a drawing of him.

Curly, fluffy golden hair, perfectly sculpted features, bright lake-green eyes—all exquisitely detailed. Most impressively, Land had captured his arrogant, self-absorbed demeanor, as if the world revolved around him.

Le Tian studied it for a moment and thought, So this is how I look in his eyes.

He turned to the system. “Take a picture for me.”

System: “No storage space.”

Le Tian: “Again?”

The system thought, It’s a drawing, not a poetry collection. Do you really have to torture me in every possible way?

But, of course, he found a way.

“Stop drawing!” The system wished it had no visual processing module.

Le Tian remained unbothered. “What’s the problem? It’s pretty good.”

Cyril was skilled in oil painting—bold with colors, delicate with brush strokes. Using this body, Le Tian could paint a piece that would sell at an auction.

The only issue was…

The system was in despair. Why does this man have no shame about drawing explicit art of himself with others?

System: “Aren’t you afraid Land will get mad if he sees?”

Le Tian continued painting. “He’d be mad if I painted someone else.“

System: … “STOP. I’ll save it.”

Le Tian grinned. “Too late. I’ve already started—might as well finish it.”

The system refused to budge. In the end, it compromised, keeping only Land’s drawing of Cyril.

The system didn’t understand. “That’s not even a painting of you.”

Le Tian: “Of course it is.”

The system scoffed. “Don’t think I don’t know what you really look like.”

Le Tian smirked. “Bet you don’t.” Even he didn’t know his true appearance. How could the system?

When Land returned, he passed through the holy barrier. Seeing Le Tian wearing his silver robe and sitting at his desk painting, looking all well-behaved, he sighed in relief. He’d expected a fight.

His tall shadow cast over the canvas. Le Tian tilted his head up and said flatly, “You’re back.”

He stiffly replied, “Mn.”

Le Tian gestured toward the glowing barrier. “And that is?”

Land: “A new door.”

Le Tian: “Was that necessary?”

Land: “No. But I wanted to.”

His little sweetheart was getting fiercer. Le Tian set down his brush. He had been painting a landscape—a snowy mountain under a clear blue sky, soothing and pure. Land glanced at it, immediately frowned, and without a word, snatched it up and burned it. “You’re never going back to Hundor.”

Le Tian: ? He was just doodling.

Land warned, “Next time, I’ll level it to the ground.”

Le Tian, exasperated: “…I didn’t even marry Helena.”

Land already knew. Thankfully, Le Tian hadn’t married her in Hundor. Otherwise, he really would’ve razed the entire kingdom.

He huffed. “You haven’t married me either.”

Le Tian grabbed Land’s sleeve, raising a brow with a smirk. “You wanna be my queen?”

Land said nothing, just shot him a side glance.

“Ohhh…” Le Tian dragged out his words. “Or do you want to be my mistress?”

Still no reaction. Land just stared at him blankly.

No audience participation? Boring. Le Tian awkwardly released his sleeve and scratched his nose.

Land: “Having fun?”

Le Tian, subdued: “Sorry.”

“Next time,” Land said coldly, “I’ll take you in the main hall.“

The main hall—where at least a hundred church officials came and went daily. The threat was… exhilarating.

But while Le Tian was shameless, Cyril still had some dignity. He obediently promised, “I won’t joke like that again.”

Land gripped his chin, his fingers brushing against the faint bite marks he had left the night before. His Adam’s apple bobbed.

“Mistakes require punishment.”

“So… how will you punish me, Your Holiness?” Le Tian held his hand, his lake-green eyes pure and innocent as he flicked out his tongue, lightly licking Rand’s fingers.

Land’s heart jolted. He instinctively clasped Le Tian’s tongue between his fingers.

“Your punishment? No dinner.”

Land leaned down, using his lips instead of his fingers, and exchanged a sticky, wet kiss with Le Tian. He murmured against his ear, “Eat something else first. Depending on your performance, I’ll decide whether you get dinner or not.”

Le Tian looked at Land’s reddening neck and ears, finding it amusing. Saying bold words and then getting shy—how adorable.

He deliberately said, “Forget it then. I’ve gained weight recently. Skipping a dinner might help me lose some.”

Land’s expression changed instantly, his tone fierce. “You must eat.”

That night, Le Tian ate everything he was supposed to eat—and even what he wasn’t. And he was very full.

During his first year in the Holy Court, he never stepped outside Land’s palace. He adapted exceptionally well. Living a sheltered, pampered life gave him no psychological burden. In fact, he had gained so much weight that his abs had disappeared.

Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he burst into tears. “Mom, where are my abs?!”

The system coldly replied, “You do nothing but eat and sleep all day. And you still expect abs? Keep dreaming.”

Le Tian pouted. “But I do exercise! Morning, noon, and night—I never miss a session!”

The system nearly short-circuited. “Shut up already!”

One day, Land returned to the palace and found Le Tian sitting in front of the mirror, hugging himself with a dazed look. His heart clenched. For a year, Le Tian hadn’t thrown a tantrum. Aside from their occasional bickering, he had never voiced a complaint. Had he finally reached his limit?

He walked over, expression stern, and pulled him into his arms. “What’s wrong?” His voice was calm, but the veins on the back of his hand bulged slightly from tension.

Le Tian clutched Land’s collar, whining, “Baby, I lost my abs! Do you still love me?”

Land: …

Seeing him remain silent, Le Tian suddenly wailed, “I knew it! You only love my body!”

Land said, “Stop crying.”

Le Tian cried even louder.

After getting thoroughly ravaged by Land, he lay in bed, satisfied, rubbing his now smooth belly. Even without abs, he was still the brightest star on the continent.

Land, hugging him from behind, noticed his persistent belly-touching and casually asked, “Are you pregnant?”

Le Tian: “…”

Land: “How many months?”

Le Tian: “…I just gained weight.”

Land: “I don’t think so.” He pinched Le Tian’s belly and nodded in affirmation. “It’s obvious. And you even threw up this morning.”

Well, duh… anyone would vomit after swallowing that. Le Tian thought to himself, Land, you’re changing too fast—I can’t keep up.

Land continued to mutter, “I heard pregnant people have stronger needs.”

Le Tian: “…”

Land: “No wonder you’ve been acting so seductive lately.”

Le Tian finally snapped and pounced on him, trying to scratch him. Land caught his hands, a rare smile appearing on his lips. “See? Mood swings. Definitely pregnant.”

Le Tian hadn’t seen him smile in a year. Seeing that little angelic smile again made him feel like he was finally back.

“You’re being so naughty. I can’t spoil you just because you’re pregnant,” Land said, flipping Le Tian over and pinning him down. “You need to be punished.”

Le Tian: …I take it back. The little angel is long gone, never to return.

Three years later, given Le Tian’s good behavior, Land lifted the Holy Light Barrier. Although Le Tian was free to come and go, he still stayed inside the palace. The continent’s most dedicated homebody king was not to be underestimated.

One day, Land stormed in furiously, clutching a booklet. “Explain this!”

Le Tian, confused, took the booklet. Seeing the familiar signature, he remembered—ah, that spicy poetry collection. He asked, puzzled, “I signed it. What’s the problem?”

That single sentence ignited Land’s fury. Without another word, he pinned Le Tian down and had his way with him. Afterward, he warned, “From now on, you’re not allowed to sign anything for anyone.”

Le Tian rasped, “Okay.”

Land added, “Except for me.”

Le Tian blinked. “But I thought you didn’t like that poetry book?”

Land got out of bed, retrieved an exquisite box, and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. When he opened it, Le Tian’s eyes widened in horror—it was the unfinished NSFW drawing of himself and Land!

Le Tian almost passed out. Didn’t I throw that away?!

Land held out the drawing and said, “Sign this.”

Le Tian thought, This is too embarrassing! I am a dignified king—I can’t sign something like this!

Yet, in the end, he obediently signed it.

Land put the signed drawing away and smiled. He didn’t smile often now, so every time he did, Le Tian found it unbearably sweet. It reminded him of the innocent little angel he used to be before he was corrupted.

Seeing Le Tian’s wandering gaze, Land’s expression darkened. “What are you thinking about?”

Le Tian instinctively replied, “Thinking about you.”

Land’s expression softened, and his ears turned slightly red. He quietly sat beside him, lowering his voice. “Thinking about what, exactly?”

Le Tian smirked. “Thinking about you taking me.”

Land: …

“…Are you pregnant again?”

Le Tian, who constantly claimed pregnancy, remained perfectly calm. “Yes. Just conceived. You can’t touch me now. The baby is fragile.”

Land: … I really shot myself in the foot with this one.

But Le Tian couldn’t hold back for long. That night, he clung to him, saying the baby had reached three months and was stable now. Land pressed him down and gritted his teeth. “I should just sterilize you. You keep getting ‘pregnant.’”

Le Tian shuddered, remembering his eunuch days. He pleaded, “No… I won’t get pregnant anymore…”

Land growled, “You don’t want my child? Are you thinking of leaving me?”

Le Tian spent a full twenty-one years in this world. The system had been so neglected it was practically on the verge of malfunction. When an alert finally sounded for the heroine’s romantic progress, the system felt like it had just heard the angelic chorus of heaven.

Le Tian remained unfazed. It was bound to happen.

Once Helena fully secured her power, she would inevitably seek love. People were greedy by nature.

But what unsettled the system the most was: “Her attractiveness rating is 0.001% higher than yours.” Mostly due to age—Le Tian was pushing forty, and though divine power kept him youthful, he still couldn’t compete with Helena’s young and vibrant lover.

Le Tian remained calm. “Everything is under control.”

The system: … This guy is terrifying… I give up…

On the day he left, Le Tian and Land stood together atop the Holy Court’s dome, gazing at the stars. Their fingers intertwined in a silent moment of peace. Suddenly, a beam of divine light enveloped them both.

Le Tian turned to Land and saw the deep understanding in his blue eyes. Despite knowing everything, Land remained calm. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

Le Tian nodded.

Land, as the god’s chosen, could sense life and death with ease.

Le Tian spoke softly, “Don’t be sad.”

Land shook his head and smiled faintly. And once again, Le Tian heard the sound of flowers blooming.

“Don’t be afraid,” Land whispered, turning him toward him, their foreheads touching. “God will always be with you.”

Then, he leaned down and kissed him—tender, reverent, as if sealing a vow.

Le Tian felt a warm drop land on his cheek.

It was Land’s tear.

And in his kiss, Le Tian passed away.

This time, there was no pain at all.