Wen Jing was reborn. In his previous life, he was the youngest child in the family. His parents doted on his older brother, so he acted out as much as he pleased, only to meet an early death.
Only after he died did he learn that his brother wasn't their biological son, and that his parents favored him only to repay a debt of gratitude.
Reborn once more, Wen Jing looked at his brother, who carried himself like a refined gentleman, and couldn't help feeling jealous.
Hadn't their parents placed their hopes in him? Fine... then he would drag his brother down into the muck.
But no matter how much trouble he caused, whether he used the toilet while his brother ate or sang while his brother studied, his brother treated him as if he weren't there, always acting like a loving older brother.
Until Wen Jing discovered...
"Brother, you look especially handsome today."
Affection +1
"My brother is the most handsome, elegant and dashing."
Affection +7
"I love my brother the most."
Affection +20
!!! Wen Jing, fine! If this is what the male lead likes, then he'll infiltrate the enemy's ranks first, then strike a fatal blow.
His brother put on a loving, friendly face, and he obediently played the part of a good younger brother.
He clung to his brother, needing to be fed at meals and held to sleep, sticking by his side every day.
Their parents thought the brothers were close, but only Wen Jing knew what he was plotting. He hated his parents' favoritism in his previous life and envied his brother's aloof dignity.
He would show his parents just how despicable their precious son really was.
On the day his brother passed the provincial imperial exam, at the height of his triumph, Wen Jing drugged him, and the two of them were discovered in bed together.
Looking pitiful, as if he'd been framed, Wen Jing watched his brother receive the family punishment and kneel in the ancestral hall.
Seeing his brother caught off guard, he was immensely pleased with himself.
Afraid of revenge, he ran away that very day. But before he could get out of the city, his brother caught him.
The male lead's eyes were dark and bright, his face gloomy as he said, "Xiao Jing, why are you running?"
"I... You have those kinds of feelings for me. We're brothers, so this goes against all propriety. My parents won't let you get away with it."
"Xiao Jing, you may not know this, but I'm not their biological son."
"Even so, I still call you Brother..."
"Heh. You may not know this either, but our families arranged a childhood betrothal for us. You were always meant to be my husband."
Wen Jing: ?!!!
Wen Jing was dragged back and made to suffer the consequences of his own actions. By day, Qi Xiao acted like a good older brother,
but at night, he pinned Wen Jing down and ravished him like a beast. Wen Jing was covered in bruises, without a single patch of unblemished skin.
With no other choice, Wen Jing tried a roundabout approach and insisted on taking the imperial exams. As long as he climbed high enough, Qi Xiao wouldn't be able to use his status as an older brother to bully him.
After ten years of hard study, he finally passed the exams. Wen Jing thought that now he was an official, he could finally outrank Qi Xiao.
But... during the palace examination, how could the man beside the emperor, dressed in the prince's ceremonial robes, look so much like his damned older brother?
Qi Xiao looked at the little one he'd raised. Dressed in red and breathtakingly beautiful, Wen Jing drew a quiet laugh from him. "Little Treasure, you look good in this, too. Come home and let your big brother watch you take it off, piece by piece."
Wen Jing: !!! So... even after being reborn and studying hard for ten years, he still couldn't beat him. Might as well die.
Theme: Study hard and keep improving