Is actually the main villain in the story. He was the typical villain in novels; Lin Qingyu is ruthless, he never forgives nor forget, he carried out his plans without mercy. If you so as glances at him wrongly, you're on the hit list.

But everything is forgiven because he is the main character and we actually got to know the reasons and processes of everything.

Although he was also too cruel to some innocent characters just because he found them too s*upid or cheap.

Yet, as the main character Shou, he is very cute.

If this story was from Crown Prince's pov, Lin Qingyu would be the crazy beauty who killed his husbands with his bad luck and also a crazy doctor who pursued dark magic 「Gu worms」.

ML Gong was a typical transmigrating villain who loves to mess with the plot. His mind and action are scarier and more ruthless than the MC. He is a scheming person who moves people around him into his chess play while he sit on the top. For his lovely wife, there is nothing he wouldn't do.

But. As the male lead main character, ML is actually quiet humble. He doesn't think he is the main character of the world just because be transmigrates into it. He only wants to protect the one person he loves and cares the most, his lovely Shou male-wife. His scheming mind wasn't born as a mean to bully others. He learns how to scheme because his modern-world mother apparently is very obsessed with setting his son on the top, to follow her path in becoming the best of everything. But ML is a lazy person who only wants to be a salted fish everyday, so he learns how to scheme his own time and study to get the top result and also the lazy life he wants.

He also loves the MC in the most adorable way.

His name itself is a spoiler.

So totally no romance here but they start out as friends and allies in this tricky situation. It's actually really cute. Also, ML is actually younger than MC! There's the start of a long collaboration (and we can see the downfall of a whole household) and towards the end, I was really sad to see xiao hou ye gone. I think both started to develop some feelings towards the end and my gosh, I really teared up at the end. This ending really gutted me. But plot spoilers wise, Xiao hou ye is the nephew of the empress and MC is forced to marry him by imperial order because the guo shi dictates that they match and it will help xiao hou ye (since he is like terminally ill). And it does follow the summary where he still dies a year later but it's actually half a year longer because MC (who is a doctor in training), helped prolong his life. And also, MC actually held a grudge at the beginning because this whole marriage ruined his plan to take this very important medical exam.

TBH not my favourite arc because of the age gap. General is 12 years older than MC (though mentally ML is still 1 year younger). It was nice because this is the arc where their feelings became mutual and more scheming happened against the protagonists of the book (who weren't good) but I couldn't really get the age gap image off my mind. But otherwise, the confession scene was very nice. Again, a lot of people went down but coming towards the end of this arc (there were even scenes where they promised to be together till the very end of this life even though ML is physically older now), you just know the angst was coming. Oh and also, it's assumed at the beginning that the general "died" when ML transmigrated over to his body at the start of this arc (and that was at the war zone away from the capital).

There was already hints in arc 2 on who ML will be, and that was this prince who was said to have "no soul". So ya, at least it wasn't like he took over an innocent character. And this prince looked nearly identical to his original body (HMM). A lot of things happened between arc 2 and 3 for him to become emperor and how they can get together when MC already kind of married twice is going to be a hurdle I foresee, so shall have to continue reading.

I like how ML influenced MC to talk in his modern speak. Also, there was a natural flow in the plot where MC discovers that ML is a transmigrator and that they are in a book.

Lin Qingyu thought for a long time, but made up his mind, "In any case, I will do less bad things in the future."

ML: "Don't baby. Do whatever you want. If you want to change yourself when you fall in love with me, then I'm a scumbag again."

This is their attitude when it comes to being jealous:

MC: If he cheats on me then he is blind.

ML: Isn't he pretty? Look, look as much as you want. People love to look at a beauty. But look is all they can do. Only I can touch.

ML said that if they are going to get into fights every time someone stare at MC then they will only fight all day long. Better just to let people look at him.

It was especially painful in the first life arc. I cried for Qingyu despite knowing that his husband was going to be back soon.

he's willing to be a salted fish that is not so idle for his lover.

ML died 3 times, and married MC 3 times, just like the title. In the 1st life, he died when helping a pregnant women, and then he wake up, and meet MC. That's the beginning of their love life

I definitely sniffled at the both times the ML died, the writer weaved it so beautifully and fully displayed the raw emotions the MC and ML had during those two times. They're at chapter 38 and 99. They were written so beautifully that I specifically went back to reread those two scenes, I'm in awe of the writer.

and that one important goal in his life is to give the MC freedom to act and not surpress his malicious heart (too much dog food huhuhu)

The MC is an amazing character. The author did a great job on the MC's characterization and the changes in his feelings for the ML. He started as this reluctant husband who's planning on offing the sickly ML during their eedding night to being this person who fell deeply in love with his smart but lazy husband. As a warning, he is not the kind, gentle, white moonlight MC character. He's smart, ruthless, and, as he was described, full of malicious feelings. He's like a beautiful but very poisonous flower. He can off anyone who tries to do evil to him and his loved ones. He's also very protective of the people he cares about, and one of those people is his salted fish of a husband, the ML.

The ML is, well, I really love the ML, he's enjoyable to read and the main source of joy in the story. When he transmigrated at the beginning of the story, he was just 17 years old, a high school student. Sometimes his age shows and it's such a contrast since his soul is in the bodies of grown men. His character is basically a salted fish, and just wants to live a lazy life. He likes fishing and laying down, just living with the MC, but he's a great character. As much as he is a salted fish, when push comes to shove, he's there for the MC. I love how very human the ML is. When his soul was in the body of the general and he was about to lead the army to battle, he showed weakness to the MC the night before he's about to leave. He admitted that he was a little scared. But when he rode to battle the next day and fought, he gave all he got. That's basically the personality of the ML, he's a salted fish but a very dependable, kind, and smart one. He might even be smarter than the MC who's a cunning and a Machiavellian character

LU WANCHENG'S DEATHS MAKES ME SAD, SERIOUSLY. But what I'm most anticipating is Lin Qingyu's reaction to it! I'm not sadistic or what, I just want to see how he looks like when he's hurt and is crumbling down because he lost Lu Wancheng. Currently, there are 38 chapters in CG (Thank you for translating this novel, CG!), and the 38th chapter is the first death of LWC. ML and MC were friends at this point so LQY felt empty because of it but I read the MTL and he'll move on from it (?) The first time LQY cried in the novel was when Lu Wancheng's spirit (in his original appearance) came to see Lin Qingyu after not seeing each other for months (?) because LWC's soul at that time went to General Gu (who was also mentioned in the first 38 chapters) and he died in the war (mentioned in the novel's synopsis). Lin Qingyu broke down because of it, and you can see how much he love Lu Wancheng at that point! I can't wait to read all of the chapters in the future!