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1. Whatever was Before by JustSomeoneThatReads

   Fandoms: 人渣反派自救系统 - 墨香铜臭 | The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 穿书自救指南 | Scumbag System (Cartoon)  

   • Explicit
   • Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
   • M/M
   • Work in Progress

   07 Nov 2025

   Tags

   • Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
   • Shang Qinghua/Shen Yuan | Shen Qingqiu
   • Shang Qinghua & Shen Yuan | Shen Qingqiu
   • Shang Qinghua & Original Female Character(s)
   • Shen Jiu | Original Shen Qingqiu & Original Female Character(s)
   • Shen Yuan | Shen Qingqiu
   • Shang Qinghua
   • Original Female Character(s)
   • Original Animal Character(s)
   • Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
   • Modern Era
   • Pre-Transmigration
   • Fluff and Angst
   • Getting Together
   • Eventual Romance
   • Alternate Universe - Modern Setting
   • First Meetings
   • Shen Yuan | Shen Qingqiu is a Menace
   • No Beta we die like Shen Jiu
   • Coffee Shops
   • Shang Qinghua Has Anxiety
   • Overworking
   • Insomnia
   • Humor
   • Shang Qinghua Deserves Love
   • Shang Qinghua Deserves a Raise
   • Not Beta Read
   • I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping
   • I Was Drunk When I Wrote This
   • I don't know shit about the chinese railway system i don't live in china
   • Please Kill Me
   • Emotional Hurt/Comfort
   • Emotional Support Cats
   • Lady Yōuyă is the cat grandma we all deserve
   • Overthinking
   • Masturbation
   • Hallucinations

   Summary

   Because he had a life before all this, because back then he coudln't pay his rent. It was because he was desperate for money, that he met his biggest fan and hater over coffee and had to explain his writing to the guy. What he didn't anticipate though was that this encounter set the first stone of what he would later call "The System". And he didn't anticipate that the vicious Lord Cucumber was actually a nice guy.

   or: As a desperate move to earn money, Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky cheated on a bet against Peerless Cucumber, but the guy only had cash on hand. So Airplane had no choice but to get his money personally and meet the guy. But he didn't expect that guy to be so... ordinarily nice.

   Language:

   English

   Words:

   26,485

   Chapters:

   8/?

   Comments:

   45

   Kudos:

   202

   Bookmarks:

   31

   Hits:

   2,512