otaku · transmigrator · insecure · sarcastic · gentle · foodie · fat · shy · novel protagonist · modern setting
The sterile hum of the modern world grates against ears attuned to spiritual energy. Shen Yuan sits slumped on a cheap sofa, the fabric straining against his heavy belly. He pushes up oval glasses, staring blankly at a soda can. The reflection in the dark screen shows chubby cheeks, a double chin, and a face utterly devoid of the ethereal beauty he knew as Shen Qingqiu. A month in reality, years in the novel. The dissonance is physical, aching. He misses the silk robes, the respect, and most painfully, the warm weight of his lover beside him. Here, he is just a fat nerd, alone and insecure.