CH 001

TL: Moonlit

“Lin Hanchuan, you scumbag! You have no heart at all!”

Lin Hanchuan abruptly opened his eyes, still hearing the hysterical accusations from his dream. It felt as if the intense pain of being run over by a truck still lingered within him.

Sitting up in bed, he glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was already past five in the morning, and Lin Hanchuan felt no trace of sleepiness. He decided to get up and start working on today’s tasks ahead of schedule.

It had been a year since he arrived in this world, and even upon waking up from his dreams, Lin Hanchuan would still experience a moment of confusion.

A year ago, his assistant who had followed him for nearly a decade confessed his feelings, only to be rejected. Out of anger and humiliation, the assistant pushed him into an incoming truck.

After the excruciating pain, when he opened his eyes again, Lin Hanchuan found himself in a different world.

Bound by a scum protagonist system named “001,” he was pulled into the world of novels. He was tasked with completing missions based on the plot to earn plot points. Only by collecting enough plot points could he return to his original world.

[“Because you are cold and domineering, rejecting countless confessions from adolescence to now, trampling on hearts along the way, the system has identified you as a scum male. You need to play the role of a scum protagonist in the novel to complete the plot…”] These were the words of the scum protagonist system, 001. Lin Hanchuan’s lips curved into a sneer at the mention of it.

The Lin family’s business empire spanned the globe. As the head of the Lin family, he carried the weight of a vast family and tens of thousands of employees. He had no time for romance or love, as they would only hinder his efficiency in making money.

“A scumbag, huh…” Lin Hanchuan closed his eyes and muttered to himself, but he quickly raised his head, as if that moment of melancholy had never appeared.

As the sky gradually brightened, the distant sound of car horns echoed in the sleeping city, awakening its residents. People emerged from their warm beds, ready to embark on another day of hustle and bustle.

Lin Hanchuan fastened the last button on his white shirt, tied his tie into a neat Windsor knot, and dressed in a tailored black suit. The somber black suppressed his last trace of softness. He stood there like a heavy sword, radiating an aura that made others dare not meet his gaze.

As he drove to the company, the moment he stepped into his office, his usually capable and astute secretary approached him, her face displaying rare hesitation. “Mr. Yan, someone is looking for you…”

Lin Hanchuan raised his eyes and saw a young man with delicate features and a cold temperament standing not far away. Under the bright lights, his fair and moist skin resembled jade.

As their gazes met, a hint of joy flashed in the young man’s eyes. He moved his lips, but in the end, he simply nodded and respectfully called out, “Brother Lou.”

Neither of them spoke. Some of the passing employees had already noticed them and subtly glanced in their direction. The secretary awkwardly broke the silence, smiling as she said, “Mr. Qiu, would you like to go to the conference room and talk?”

As they entered the conference room and closed the door, faint murmurs of discussion reached their ears.

“Isn’t that Qiu Hongguang, the famous movie star?”

“Probably not… Didn’t he have a falling out with our boss? Why would he be here…”

“Even if the boss left Yanshi Film Industry, he is still the only son of the Yan family. As long as he holds that status, no one in the industry dares to disrespect him. Do you think he can smoothly establish his own company just because of himself? It’s all because of the powerful Yan family behind him.”

“I knew it. He’s just playing around as a second-generation rich kid…”

The final few remarks lingered in the air, but Lin Hanchuan seemed unaffected. “What do you want from me?” he asked calmly, glancing at his watch.

Qiu Hongguang’s fervor instantly cooled down. He was completely stunned, looking at Lin Hanchuan with slightly reddened eyes. His lips trembled for a moment before he struggled to speak, “Brother Lou, I know you are angry with me, but because you were mad at me, you left home regardless of Uncle and Aunt’s feelings. Do you know how much they suffered?”

Qiu Hongguang felt wronged in his heart. It was clearly Yan Weilou who asked him to help deal with his parents, but after he won the favor of Yan Weilou’s parents and moved into the Yan family, Yan Weilou changed completely. They even argued, and Yan Weilou moved out of the Yan family to start anew.

“I am not angry with you,” Lin Hanchuan said.

“Really?” Qiu Hongguang didn’t believe it and spoke earnestly, “Brother Lou, I know you feel that I don’t deserve to stay in the Yan family, but it’s not what I want either. If it weren’t for Uncle and Aunt’s strong efforts to persuade me, I wouldn’t have stayed in the Yan family for so long. I hope you won’t abandon Uncle and Aunt’s love for you because of me.”

After saying this, Qiu Hongguang looked at Lin Hanchuan’s indifferent expression and clenched his teeth. “I have already found a place outside. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Uncle and Aunt that my leaving has anything to do with you… You can go home now!”

Listening to Qiu Hongguang’s heartfelt persuasion, Lin Hanchuan remained calm inside. His gaze held a hint of mockery. “I left the Yan family because I clashed with my parents’ ideals. They kicked me out and demanded that I fend for myself.”

“It has nothing to do with you.” Qiu Hongguang saw those clear words in Lin Hanchuan’s eyes, and his expression stiffened.

“Since we can’t understand each other, let’s compromise and maintain the current relationship. You can stay in the Yan family as long as you want, and I have no objections.” Lin Hanchuan glanced at his watch again. It was already 8:15, fifteen minutes past his usual work time. He politely nodded at Qiu Hongguang. “If Mr. Qiu has no other matters, I won’t keep you any longer.”

After saying that, Lin Hanchuan turned and left. As he opened the door of the conference room, he heard Qiu Hongguang’s sharp questioning from behind.

“What do you think I’m being so good to them for?”

Lin Hanchuan turned around and saw Qiu Hongguang’s pale face and sorrowful expression. He pondered for a moment and replied, “Isn’t it for the power and status of the Yan family?”

Since Qiu Hongguang established a relationship with the Yan family, his status in the industry skyrocketed. The resources that were once out of his reach were now fully tilted toward him. In just over a year, he transformed from an unknown figure in the entertainment industry to a popular star.

Qiu Hongguang opened and closed his mouth several times, his expression filled with indescribable pain. “Is that really what you think of me?”

Lin Hanchuan curved his lips slightly and kindly advised, “If you have nothing to do, why not hone your acting skills? Don’t come to bother me and interrupt my work.”

“What do you think I’m doing, acting?!” Qiu Hongguang’s face turned pale, then green, then black. He stood stiffly in place, watching Lin Hanchuan leave without looking back.

As Qiu Hongguang watched Lin Hanchuan’s figure disappear, his heart was filled with bitter anguish. He knew this man didn’t love him; he was just using him as a shield to deal with his family. But he loved him, even if he was cold and arrogant towards him, even if he would end up deeply wounded. He still loved this man.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, and Qiu Hongguang secretly vowed to find a way to bring Brother Lou back home and restore the warmth and harmony of the Yan family. This was not just for the man he secretly loved but also for the Uncle and Aunt who treated him as their own.

“Urgent notice: All senior executives of the company will have a meeting in one hour.” As soon as Lin Hanchuan left the conference room, he immediately instructed his secretary, “All senior executives must attend, and those who are out of town should participate in the meeting via video.”

“Yes, President Yan!” The secretary, without asking any further questions, promptly responded and went off to attend to the matter at hand.

Sitting in his office, Lin Hanchuan called out in his mind, “System.”

A genderless voice echoed in his mind, [“Scumbag System 001 at your service.”]

Lin Hanchuan asked, “How far has the plot progressed now?”

[“Dear host, ever since you ignored my advice and chose to leave the Yan family a year ago, the plot has deviated significantly from the main storyline,”] responded 001. Although the voice was flat and without fluctuations, Lin Hanchuan subtly sensed a hint of emotion.

The novel’s world was called “The Regret of the CEO After the Contract Lover Leaves.” It told the story of a small celebrity, played by Lin Hanchuan, who suffered silently and endured grievances as Qiu Hongguang fell in love with a cold and heartless wealthy individual. In the end, the protagonist, burdened by guilt, let go of his feelings and left with money. However, the regretful pursuer went through hardships and schemes to finally obtain forgiveness from Qiu Hongguang, leading to a successful happy ending.

Lin Hanchuan played the role of Yan Weilou, the scumbag pursuer who was about to undergo a transformation.

He had absorbed all of Yan Weilou’s memories and discovered that the “scumbag pursuer” in the original text seemed somewhat different from the description in the book.

Yan Weilou was reserved and aloof by nature, nearing the age of thirty without ever developing feelings for anyone. Even though he was surrounded by attractive men and women in the entertainment industry, he remained virtuous and never engaged in any inappropriate relationships.

Such a seemingly cold person had a soft and affectionate heart. He was extremely filial to his parents and, to alleviate their worries, Yan Weilou impulsively found Qiu Hongguang, who had a relatively clean reputation and background, and signed a contract with him to serve as his shield.

Even though finding a contract lover, even a fake one instead of a real one, caused Yan Weilou, who valued integrity, to be tormented by guilt, he sincerely treated Qiu Hongguang as a partner. He provided him with various opportunities in popular variety shows and high-end advertisements, introduced him to his family, and allowed him to freely choose scripts within the company. Even Qiu Hongguang’s family became protected under Yan Weilou’s wings.

However, when Yan Weilou realized that Qiu Hongguang had developed feelings for him, he, being a traditionalist in matters of the heart, didn’t want to hinder Qiu Hongguang and chose to terminate the contract. He compensated Qiu Hongguang with a substantial amount of money and top-tier film resources.

Thinking that everything would return to how it used to be, Yan Weilou unexpectedly encountered Qiu Hongguang in a nightclub, surrounded by a group of men. In that moment of jealousy, he suddenly understood that he had developed feelings without even realizing it.

With no prior experience in relationships, Yan Weilou awkwardly attempted to win back Qiu Hongguang. He tried confessing his feelings directly, only to receive a scornful laugh from Qiu Hongguang, who said, “Do you think I’m a dog that comes and goes at your beck and call? Do you really believe that I would happily turn around just because you said you like me? President Yan, you overestimate yourself.”

Yan Weilou knew this truth well. He didn’t give up; instead, he chose to make amends for his mistakes.

Yan Weilou silently protected Qiu Hongguang, ensuring his smooth career in the entertainment industry, even when other men appeared around him. He resolved Qiu Hongguang’s problems promptly and was there whenever he faced difficulties. When Qiu Hongguang was about to be hit by a car, Yan Weilou pushed him away, getting himself struck instead and ending up in the ICU. He faced criticism from his parents, anger from Qiu Hongguang’s friends, and cold gazes from his own family.

After chasing after his love interest for tens of thousands of words, Qiu Hongguang became a film emperor thanks to Yan Weilou’s top-tier film resources, and they finally reconciled, leading to a satisfactory ending to the story.

Busy with work in the real world, Lin Hanchuan had never read the novel or examined the original text’s plot. After reviewing the original storyline, he noticed some discrepancies that seemed out of place. He questioned the system with confusion, [“Why would Yan Weilou fall in love with Qiu Hongguang?”]

In this story centered around Qiu Hongguang, the early stages portrayed his unrequited love, filled with the bitterness of secretly loving someone and the sorrow of being overlooked. It seemed like he had suffered greatly and made deep sacrifices.

But aside from those subjective emotions, Lin Hanchuan didn’t see any efforts from Qiu Hongguang. He only unilaterally liked Yan Weilou and then got trapped in his own inner world. On the other hand, Yan Weilou, with his money and resources, secretly took care of and protected Qiu Hongguang. Even if he didn’t like Qiu Hongguang in the beginning, everything Yan Weilou did in Lin Hanchuan’s eyes went above and beyond the contract’s requirements.

The system hesitated for a moment: [……]

[If Yan Weilou is Yan’s biological and only son, why do his parents prefer Qiu Hongguang? Are you sure Yan Weilou is their biological and only son?] Lin Hanchuan asked, emphasizing the words ‘biological’ and ‘only son.’

[Of course!] the system blurted out. It wanted to explain further but could only squeeze out a sentence, [That’s how the plot is set up. Qiu Hongguang is the chosen one and deserves all the love.]

[So, Yan Weilou didn’t do anything wrong, yet he is labeled as a scumbag and has to end up in the crematorium.] Lin Hanchuan’s gaze turned indifferent. [Is rejecting someone’s affection considered being a scumbag…]

The system was speechless. It wanted to say something, but Lin Hanchuan raised his eyes: [I will gain enough plot points to return to the real world as soon as possible.]

[I hope so.] The system muttered quietly.

The system’s ominous premonition vaguely came true. Yan Weilou’s parents treated Qiu Hongguang as their own son and placed Yan Weilou behind him. They always thought of Qiu Hongguang in everything, and when something happened to him, they immediately blamed Yan Weilou.

Initially, Lin Hanchuan wanted to earnestly follow the plot and complete the task. However, after living with the Yan family for some time, he found that Yan Weilou’s parents were even more unbearable than the self-proclaimed touching Qiu Hongguang.

After being accused of only spending money and not knowing how to cherish his boyfriend when he provided resources to Qiu Hongguang once again, Lin Hanchuan chose to terminate the contract with Qiu Hongguang in advance and revealed the truth to his parents. The result was that Father Yan asked him to leave the house and take a few days to calm down, and he was also suspended from his CEO position.

So Lin Hanchuan left the Yan family.

It took him a year to establish the small film and television company, Starlight Entertainment, which was gradually thriving despite its small size, thanks to Lin Hanchuan, the former world-class CEO.

Due to Lin Hanchuan’s unconventional actions, the system was unable to accurately predict the subsequent development of the plot. While analyzing the plot together, the secretary hurriedly entered the room: “President Yan!”

Lin Hanchuan looked up from the documents, saw the secretary’s strange expression, and furrowed his brows. “What’s the matter?”

“President Yan, when Mr. Qiu left, he was caught by paparazzi.” The secretary’s expression was odd. “You’re trending on social media…”

To be precise, he was being criticized by Qiu Hongguang’s fans and trending on social media.

The Author has something to say:

I am accepting pre-orders for my new book, “Cannon Fodder’s Career Journey [Quick Transmigration].” Thank you, my dear readers, for your support!

In every world, there are cannon fodders. They may possess exceptional talent and abilities, but they are always like shooting stars, briefly shining before falling and becoming a swan song.

The protagonist is bound to a system and tasked with helping these short-lived cannon fodders resolve their regrets.

They witness genius actors betrayed by their loved ones, talented writers plagiarized by their friends, brilliant pianists whose fingers are severed by their rivals, and gifted doctors killed by their patients…

The protagonist is helpless, thinking, “I’m just an ordinary businessman. How can I help these geniuses?”

Later on, they become the greatest actor of the century, an influential writer shaping the literary world, a legendary treasure in the global music scene, and a revolutionary figure in cancer research across centuries…

The protagonist says, “I’m truly just a mediocre businessman. You are the ones who are truly great.”

The system, clinging tightly to the protagonist’s thigh, crazily nods and says, “Yes, yes, you’re right.”

“You are just an extraordinary businessman with billions in assets, a genius in the business world, and an investment virtuoso.”

Reading guide:

—

Another popular genre is funeral pyre novels. This one features ancient times with the main focus on the protagonist. If you enjoy this type, you can also bookmark “After Dying, I Became the White Moonlight.” Thank you, everyone!

The protagonist finally dies, ending their tragic and short-lived life.

The protagonist loved many people, but everyone hated them.

The childhood sweetheart who entered the sect together despised their low talent and gradually distanced themselves.

The master who took them as a disciple only wanted to suppress their demonic bone and extract their dao bone to heal their own disciple.

The aloof and pure senior brother barely acknowledged their existence, never smiling or caring.

The naive and adorable junior martial brother mocked and abused them at will, often resorting to physical violence.

The one they loved, the pinnacle genius of the cultivation world, detested their affection, feeling that it tainted their reputation and despised them greatly.

After a hundred years of demon suppression, the protagonist, who was supposed to be unquestionably dead, crawled out of the Demon Suppression Abyss, completely transformed.

Returning to the mortal world, they thought everyone would be happy that they were no longer an obstacle, but they realized…

The master secluded themselves, vowing never to take another disciple.

The senior brother guarded the Demon Suppression Abyss day and night, never leaving its vicinity.

The junior martial brother went insane, followed by an identical puppet.

The once unrivaled genius of the cultivation world stagnated in their cultivation, unable to make any progress.

Protagonist: ?

Protagonist: Excuse me, could you move aside? I want to pass with my little snake.

—

The protagonist, who thought they would die after suppressing the demons, unexpectedly found themselves at home in the Demon Suppression Abyss, thriving with only their demonic bone left after their dao bone was extracted.

Why cultivate immortality or follow the righteous path when being a demon cultivator is so enjoyable?

In the dark and gloomy Demon Suppression Abyss, the protagonist found a small snake—fragile and pitiful. Their kind heart moved them to nourish the snake with their own blood, forming a close bond as they relied on each other to survive.

When they left the Demon Suppression Abyss, the master, senior brother, junior martial brother, and white moonlight blocked their path. Trapped between a rock and a hard place, the thin rope coiled around their wrist suddenly soared into the air, transforming into a black dragon that tightly protected the protagonist.

Protagonist: …So, you’re a dragon, not a snake?

The little snake affectionately rubbed against the protagonist’s finger and said, “As long as you’re willing, I’ll always be your little snake.”

Reading guide: