Being an Official Is No Match for Living Off Someone Else

[Blurb]

Scheming, flirtatious green-tea top x hot-tempered sweetheart bottom who falls for every lure

Shen Rui transmigrates into a male-lead growth novel, becoming the villain who shares his name.

The novel's male lead, Jiang Xunhe, comes from a merchant family and has low status, but after ten years of diligent study, he enters the officialdom through the imperial examinations.

In a world ruled by powerful families and aristocrats, Jiang Xunhe, born to a humble family, has the talent to come first in the exams. Yet under their suppression, he can only claim the title of third place.

Despite the powerful families' relentless efforts to suppress him, he steadily rises to become prime minister, beginning his life as a virtuous statesman.

Shen Rui is the villain who tampers with the male lead's exams and continues to undermine him in the bureaucracy, boasting the loudest early on and meeting the most miserable end later.

As luck would have it, Shen Rui arrives on the day the exam results are announced, when Jiang Xunhe's third-place finish is already a done deal.

Thinking of the fate in store for him, worse than death, Shen Rui gives a cold laugh. Fine, let's see who takes the other down first.

And so Shen Rui begins his plan to take out the future big shot. He recalls the methods used in the original novel and realizes how crude they were. No wonder he got killed in the end.

Shen Rui sets out to get close to Jiang Xunhe, determined to find his weakness and strike where it hurts.

Gradually, he realizes something is off. It is true that Jiang Xunhe comes from a merchant family, but his family controls the water transport business and has more money than the national treasury.

It is true that Jiang Xunhe has the talent to come first but only placed third, but it has nothing to do with Shen Rui's interference. The other two candidates simply weren't much to look at, and only the best-looking person can be named the Flower-Seeking Scholar.

It is true that Shen Rui will be made to suffer worse than death, but in a way he can't say aloud...

Shen Rui packs his bags in the middle of the night and tries to run, only for someone to grab his sleeve.

Jiang Xunhe lowers his eyes, looking sad and forlorn as he murmurs, “A Rui, have you grown tired of me? I suppose so. I was born low and I'm ugly, too. If only I were a young lady from a wealthy family, then you wouldn't leave me behind...”

Shen Rui... Shen Rui sits back down...

"Reader's Guide"

Both are each other's first. Older top, and the bottom is not weak.

The story covers both career and romance. It isn't just a love story, and includes some court intrigue and power struggles.

The bottom isn't a good person in the traditional sense. He genuinely wants to kill the top, and he really is attracted to his looks.

Jiang Xunhe is the top, Shen Rui is the bottom. They will not switch roles.

Happy ending, happy ending.

If it's not for you, don't force yourself to read it. You don't need to tell me if you drop it. Please don't offer writing advice.

I refuse comments from anyone reading pirated copies, whether they're praise or criticism! I really hate it!

Theme: Break through class barriers and strive for a better life.