Lu Yu was a typical twenty-first-century shut-in. During a competition, he gamed nonstop for three days and nights, then died gloriously. When he woke, he discovered that although his soul had separated from his body, he wasn't dead yet. It turned out that he was the only one to last until the end of the competition. As a reward, the organizers decided to give him a chance to be reborn, on the condition that he complete a designated mission in another timeline. Only after completing it could his soul return to his body and the real world.
The person whose body he had entered was Luo Jue, a former crown prince of the previous dynasty. Once cherished and raised in luxury, he had fallen to become a lowly groom in Prince Rui's household, where anyone could trample on him.
Later, the original Luo Jue would collude with the remnants of the previous dynasty, frame Prince Rui, and drive a wedge between the male lead and the reigning emperor. When both sides were weakened, he planned to swoop in and reap the benefits. This would force Xiao Yanting, who only wanted to be an idle prince, to raise an army, rebel, and seize the throne to protect himself. Luo Jue thought Xiao Yanting was just a good-for-nothing, never realizing that he was merely concealing his true abilities.
Before his eventual descent into darkness, Xiao Yanting was every bit the refined, gentle gentleman.
The more Lu Yu interacted with Xiao Yanting, the more he realized that the man wasn't just handsome on the outside; he was equally impressive within. Lu Yu also felt that Xiao Yanting truly treated him as a brother and friend. He enjoyed it, even as guilt gnawed at him.
“Brother Ting, what would you do if I did something to betray you one day?”
“I would forgive you no matter what you did, as long as you could...” Xiao Yanting murmured, his eyes half lowered.
“Huh? As long as I could what? I didn't hear you.” Lu Yu looked at Xiao Yanting and asked.
Xiao Yanting was silent for a while. Lu Yu knew that when he fell silent, it meant he didn't want to say any more, so he didn't ask again. After all, the original body's mission had to be completed. It was only natural that Xiao Yanting might hate him for it. He could only treat him better now, as a way of making amends for what he would do later.
What Lu Yu didn't know was that the person he felt guilty toward and wanted to treat well had never thought of him as a brother or friend. He treated Lu Yu politely on the surface, but in his heart he was constantly doing unspeakable things to him.
“Brother Xiao, you're really handsome. You must have plenty of admirers, right?” Lu Yu asked with a teasing grin.
Xiao Yanting could tell what he was thinking just by looking at him, so he teased him back. “Quite a few, but I've turned them all down. If you're interested too, I could consider giving you a chance, little brother.”
“No, no! You're handsome, but I still prefer delicate, cute girls.” Lu Yu waved his hands frantically.
“How would you know if you don't try?”
Under Xiao Yanting's predatory gaze, Lu Yu fled in a panic, resolving never to tease or make fun of him again.
Theme: Remember your original purpose and keep your mission in mind.
