The suburbs at night were much quieter than the bustling city center, with the occasional sound of cicadas breaking the silence.
From the window of a speeding car, a hand suddenly reached out.
Slender fingers extended beyond the window, the skin pale and smooth like jade, wrapping around distinctly bony joints.
The hand had only just been exposed to the air when a few drops of rain splashed onto its palm. Transparent droplets rolled down the cold, white skin before the hand’s owner flicked them away.
Xiao Cheng retracted his hand and confirmed, “It’s raining.”
Xiao Ziyue let out a regretful sigh. “I finally got a chance to go out, and it just had to rain?”
Xiao Cheng glanced at his younger sister, amused by her exaggerated expression of dismay, and laughed.
“If you really stick to your promise to our parents and stop going to bars next time…”
Xiao Cheng’s voice faltered slightly when mentioning their parents, but Xiao Ziyue, lost in her own sadness, didn’t notice.
It had been a month since Xiao Cheng found himself inside a book, and he still wasn’t used to calling the original protagonist’s parents his own.
He used to be an orphan. His parents had died when he was very young. Although his family was wealthy and never lacked anything, he had never called anyone “Mom” or “Dad.”
Xiao Cheng felt awkward, but before he could finish his sentence, Xiao Ziyue shook her head vigorously. “No way!”
She turned her head to look at her older brother, who appeared as calm and detached as a retired official, and couldn’t help but let out another long sigh.
It’s such a waste of that divine face.
“You may have no worldly desires, but why snuff out someone else’s?”
Xiao Cheng chuckled and shook his head. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about these things, but because he knew that the world they were in was, in fact, a novel.
This story started a month ago.
A month ago, Xiao Cheng attended a famous professor’s lecture. The professor was lively and humorous, and the room was packed with people eager to listen.
Xiao Cheng had managed to grab a seat, though in a different area than his roommate. The girl sitting next to him was a stranger, and before the lecture began, she was glued to her phone. She didn’t look up from her screen until near the end of the talk.
Xiao Cheng glanced her way and was surprised to see her face twisted in frustration, her eyes red.
He quickly handed her a tissue, not expecting her to suddenly open up to him, venting about the novel she’d just been reading on her phone.
She’d been reading a “scumbag gong and pitiful shou” novel. Thanks to the internet, Xiao Cheng knew what that meant.
According to the girl’s complaints, the “scumbag gong” was a domineering CEO, forceful and controlling, who treated the pitiful “shou” like a mere toy, though he didn’t truly love him.
The shou, meanwhile, was the real heir of the Luo family, who had been lost for many years.
For the first ten years, the Luo family had been unaware they were raising an imposter as their heir. Even the fake heir didn’t know the truth.
When the real heir, the cheap shou, was finally found, the imposter wasn’t kicked out. The family publicly claimed that they had two sons.
The true heir, who had grown up timid and humble, didn’t change after returning to the Luo family. He was eager to please everyone and, with his stunning looks, quickly became the target of the scumbag gong’s manipulations.
The shou was abused terribly by the gong. Domestic violence was the least of it. The scumbag gong even tried to give him away to his business partners. Though the shou was eventually rescued by the second male lead, he was left with deep psychological scars.
But even after all this!
The shou still forgave the scumbag gong.
Yes, he was that pitifully devoted.
No matter how much the gong hurt him, the shou always found a reason—“because I love him”—to forgive him afterward.
He was such a groveling doormat that even the scumbag gong was fed up with him.
Although Xiao Cheng hadn’t read the novel himself, hearing the girl complain about it made his fists itch angrily. He wanted to jump into the book and slap some sense into the shou.
And then he actually did.
If he had known he would end up inside the book, Xiao Cheng would have asked the girl for the title and memorized the entire plot.
That way, he wouldn’t be as clueless as he was now. Besides knowing the gong was awful and the shou was cheap, he had no idea what would happen next.
Oh, right—he also knew the scumbag gong was named Jiang Ying, and the pitiful shou was Luo Jingshu.
Ridiculous.
Right now, he and Xiao Ziyue were on their way to Luo Jingshu’s welcome-back party. A month ago, just after Xiao Cheng had found himself inside the book, the Luo family finally found their long-lost son, who was in his senior year of high school.
Xiao Cheng vaguely remembered the girl mentioning that the book began at this very party, where the scumbag gong, Jiang Ying, first laid eyes on Luo Jingshu and became infatuated with his beauty.
He didn’t want to attend this event for two reasons. First, he had no interest in the tangled mess between the scumbag gong and the pitiful shou. Second, he feared that if he saw it all unfold in person, he wouldn’t be able to resist punching the scumbag gong and the shou to wake them up.
But his younger sister, Xiao Ziyue, had been cooped up at home for a week, practically bouncing off the walls. When she heard she could finally go out, she pestered Xiao Cheng until he agreed to take her.
“Brother, I heard Luo Jingshu is super good-looking. Aren’t you even a little curious?”
Xiao Cheng…
Maybe a little.
But what he was really curious about was how the scumbag looked. What kind of person could make someone as beautiful as Luo Jingshu cling to him so desperately?
Xiao Ziyue teased him with a playful grin, but before Xiao Cheng could respond, she suddenly patted his shoulder.
“Oops, I forgot. I shouldn’t ask you that. You don’t have any worldly desires.”
Xiao Cheng: …
Fair enough.
When the two of them arrived at the Luo family’s villa, another car stopped beside theirs.
As Xiao Cheng stepped out of the car, someone unexpectedly punched him on the shoulder, followed by a cheerful voice ringing in his ear.
“Xiao Cheng, you actually came! I asked you earlier, and you said you weren’t coming!”
After transmigrating into the book, Xiao Cheng had someone gather information on people related to the original owner to avoid confusion when meeting them later. He still remembered this person was Jiang Zihe, the original owner’s roommate. They had a decent relationship, the kind where they could joke around and occasionally share personal thoughts.
However, what was more important was that Jiang Zihe had an older brother named Jiang Ying.
Xiao Cheng’s gaze passed over Jiang Zihe’s grinning face and landed on the car window behind him, his expression turning slightly serious.
If Jiang Zihe was here, then perhaps…
Sure enough, the driver soon opened the door on the other side, and the person sitting inside finally appeared in Xiao Cheng’s view.
Jiang Ying certainly lived up to being the protagonist gong of the novel. He had an impeccably handsome face, unlike Xiao Cheng’s refined beauty. Jiang Ying’s attractiveness was more mature and composed, with eyes that carried the weight of experience, exuding an air of sophistication typical of an older man from a wealthy family.
But what drew more attention than his looks was his demeanor.
He knew how to restrain his ambition and sharpness, but his powerful presence was undeniable in every gesture.
Still, as soon as Xiao Cheng thought about what Jiang Ying had done to Luo Jingshu in the novel, his view of Jiang Ying immediately became distorted, as if looking through a thousand layers of ugly filters.
He may look decent, but his actions were anything but.
Jiang Zihe also heard the approaching footsteps and quickly toned down his cheeky grin, his voice becoming more formal. “Xiao Cheng, let me introduce you. This is my—”
Before he could finish, Xiao Cheng had already curled his lips and addressed Jiang Ying directly.
“Oh, so this must be Uncle Jiang?”
Damn, this guy preyed on Luo Jingshu when he was only 17, right? An old man preying on the young.
Uncle Jiang…
Jiang Ying’s expression froze for a moment. His dark, unreadable eyes swept over Xiao Cheng, carefully assessing him and landing on his defiant smile. Amused and angered at the same time, Jiang Ying laughed coldly.
Was this on purpose?
He couldn’t recall ever offending this young master of the Xiao family. Jiang Zihe even praised him at home, saying that Xiao Cheng was good-looking and had a great temperament.
Jiang Ying agreed with the first half, but he didn’t see the good temperament.
Though displeased, he wouldn’t bother with a teenager’s provocation.
Jiang Zihe, startled by Xiao Cheng’s boldness, hurried to explain, “No, no, he’s my older brother.”
Xiao Cheng deliberately gave Jiang Ying a once-over, his light-colored eyes filled with teasing amusement.
“Oh, sorry, I couldn’t tell.”
Jiang Zihe could feel the tension in the air but couldn’t figure it out. Why did it seem like Xiao Cheng was purposely mocking his brother for being old?
After throwing a couple of jabs at the scumbag gong, Xiao Cheng felt relieved and internally cheered. He hooked an arm around Jiang Zihe’s shoulder and said, “Let’s go inside.”
He left Jiang Ying behind.
Jiang Ying watched their retreating figures and chuckled to himself, though his gaze bore a trace of something unreadable.
By the time they were inside, Xiao Ziyue had already left to find her friends. There were a lot of people present, and Xiao Cheng’s gaze swept the room, but he couldn’t spot her. Figuring she wouldn’t get into trouble, he relaxed and followed Jiang Zihe to a nearby seat.
With Jiang Ying not around, Jiang Zihe grew bolder again. “I can’t believe you dared to talk to my brother like that.”
He gave Xiao Cheng a thumbs-up, his tone filled with admiration and even a hint of envy.
Having such a strong and domineering brother, Jiang Zihe had lived in Jiang Ying’s shadow for most of his life. It couldn’t have been easy.
Jiang Ying was 12 years older than Jiang Zihe and had matured early. Even when he was young, he was already calm and composed.
To Jiang Zihe, Jiang Ying was less of a brother and more like a strict father figure.
Even their father wasn’t as harsh with him.
Xiao Cheng leaned back on the sofa lazily, answering nonchalantly, “What’s the big deal? Your brother’s not going to eat me.”
The reason he dared to be so bold was that, while the protagonist gong was powerful, the Xiao family was no slouch either. And he was their eldest son.
Jiang Ying probably wouldn’t be so petty as to retaliate just because he got teased about his age. Surely, he wouldn’t risk creating a rift with the Xiao family over something so trivial. Having that kind of backing sure felt nice.
Xiao Cheng relaxed, not paying much attention to the party or its main focus. Occasionally, if someone came to talk to him, Jiang Zihe would handle it.
After some time, a sudden shout from Jiang Zihe startled him.
“Luo Jingshu…”
Who?
Xiao Cheng lazily opened his eyes, his gaze following Jiang Zihe’s line of sight.
From his angle, he could only see one person. Another figure was hidden behind a tree, visible only from Jiang Zihe’s side.
Despite the dim lighting, Xiao Cheng’s sharp eyesight allowed him to see the person’s face clearly.
It was precisely because he saw it so clearly that he frowned, his eyes filled with a hint of surprise.
Wasn’t Luo Jingshu supposed to have an incredibly beautiful face? This person was cute at best but nowhere near the level of a stunning beauty.
“Are you sure that’s Luo Jingshu?”
Either Jiang Zihe had the wrong person, or the author wrote this novel with a thousand layers of favoritism.
Feeling accused, Jiang Zihe bristled. “You’re the one who didn’t care! I’ve known Luo Jingshu since he was brought back to the Luo family!”
So it really was him?
Xiao Cheng knew he shouldn’t judge by appearance, but he couldn’t help feeling a little letdown. He had anticipated seeing this stunning face the novel described, only to be disappointed.
Xiao Cheng sighed and withdrew his gaze. Soon enough, he saw “Luo Jingshu” walk inside, smiling and intimately linking arms with Madam Luo, who was speaking to him indulgently.
So, this really was Luo Jingshu.
Xiao Cheng only knew the protagonist’s identity but had no idea about his standing in the Luo family. In his mind, no parent would dislike their biological child.
Strangely, though, he hadn’t seen the fake young master beside Madam Luo, which made sense, given how awkward his position would be at such an event.
Xiao Cheng exhaled, feeling no desire to intervene in Jiang Ying and Luo Jingshu’s drama. He decided to leave them to their messy entanglements.
After all, he was just a minor character in the story, not even worth a mention in the novel.
With that decision made, Xiao Cheng stood up abruptly, his long legs quickly carrying him toward the exit.
Jiang Zihe, surprised, also stood up. “Where are you going?”
“It’s too stuffy here. I’m going for a walk.”
Jiang Zihe wanted to follow, but Jiang Ying called him back, leaving him no choice but to watch as Xiao Cheng disappeared through the door.
Standing beside him, Jiang Ying said in a low voice, “Tell me more about your roommate.”
——
Xiao Cheng wandered outside, unsure of his destination, only knowing he didn’t want to stay inside.
The noise gradually faded as he distanced himself from the crowd, and he finally felt a sense of relaxation.
After standing in place momentarily, he suddenly remembered that “Luo Jingshu” had come from a particular corner earlier. Why wasn’t he with Madam Luo the whole time? What was he doing over there?
Curious, Xiao Cheng walked toward where “Luo Jingshu” had been. His view opened up after passing a few trees, revealing a pool.
At first, Xiao Cheng didn’t notice anyone by the pool, but then a soft voice suddenly echoed.
“Who are you?”
Xiao Cheng wasn’t afraid of ghosts, but the sudden voice startled him.
“Is someone there?”
He cautiously called out as he moved toward the source of the voice. Only then did he notice someone sitting by the pool.
The person raised their head upon hearing his voice, and Xiao Cheng finally got a good look at the face.
!!!
This… this was the real beauty, right?
The person in front of him had stunning peach blossom eyes, their corners slightly upturned and still glistening with moisture. Their nose was high and straight, and even their lips were redder than most.
For some reason, Xiao Cheng’s heart skipped a beat.
Luo Jingshu, seeing the amazement in his eyes, curved his lips into a faint, mocking smile.
“Why are you sitting here?” Xiao Cheng’s voice was hoarse as he finally spoke after a long pause.
Only then did he notice the person in front of him was wearing soaking wet clothes, with water still dripping from their hair.
Did he fall into the pool?
“I’m tired.”
Luo Jingshu casually brushed off the question. The person in front of him was no different from all those who had coveted him before.
The look in his eyes was impure.
He remembered this person—Xiao Cheng, the eldest son of the Xiao family.
Xiao Cheng didn’t catch the impatience in Luo Jingshu’s tone. He only felt that the young man was quiet and carried an aloof and cold temperament.
Or maybe Xiao Cheng was just too mesmerized by Luo Jingshu’s beauty to care about the tone of his voice.
The young man before him had striking features: radiant skin and red lips, and his entire appearance aligned perfectly with Xiao Cheng’s aesthetic preferences.
As he stared at Luo Jingshu’s profile, Xiao Cheng felt like a cat was gently scratching at his heart. He couldn’t help but scold himself for being so shallow.
But could he blame him?
If he could look at a face like this every day, he’d probably eat two extra rice bowls.
Luo Jingshu raised his eyes and glanced at Xiao Cheng, his lips curving slightly. Even though he was impatient, he didn’t show it on his face, and his voice remained clean and gentle as he spoke.
Xiao Cheng asked him, “Are you from the Luo family?”
Luo Jingshu nodded slightly. At this point, it was true that Xiao Cheng didn’t know who he was yet.
But in his previous life, they hadn’t met at this time.
Seeing him nod, Xiao Cheng suddenly had a flash of insight. Maybe the “Luo Jingshu” from earlier had seen him here, and considering that the fake young master of the Luo family hadn’t appeared all evening, could it be that the person standing in front of him…
was the Luo family’s fake young master?
