Reborn as the Villain's Spoiled Son [Quick Transmigration]

In male-oriented novels, the dazzlingly talented villains have grand ambitions and noble ideals. They always end up opposing the protagonist, only to become stepping stones and meet miserable ends...

Xiao Ling was unlucky enough to be reborn as a villain's kid. He couldn't even walk steadily yet, and with one little plop he'd land on his bottom, hurting so much he was about to cry little pearls.

[The Imperial Examination World]

The protagonist, born to a concubine, studies hard and makes a stunning debut in the imperial exams. He marries the chief grand secretary's daughter in a splendid wedding and rises smoothly through the ranks.

The villain, though born to the principal wife, is a good-for-nothing who bullies his younger half-brother every day. In the end, he earns the whole family's exile.

Xiao Ling happens to be reborn as the villain's kid. Hoping to change his fate as cannon fodder, he decides to follow the protagonist's example, study hard, and become a child prodigy. But then... he glances at a book, and little spirals appear in his eyes.

He promptly tosses aside his primers and the Four Books and Five Classics. Even the adults aren't making an effort, so why should I, a little kid, have to compete so hard?

He tugs at the sleeve of his playboy father and blinks his big, sparkling eyes, saying plaintively, "Dad, I want you to be second only to The Outcast and above everyone else!"

What he really means: Hurry up and get into government through the imperial exams before anyone else, become a chief grand secretary with power over the whole court and a close confidant of the emperor, and outcompete the male lead, who's still taking the provincial exams, until he has nowhere left to turn.

Villain Dad: "Got it."

He goes straight to rebellion and installs his own adorable three-year-old kid on the throne.

The young emperor sits on the dragon throne in a glittering golden robe, his little legs dangling nowhere near the floor.

Xiao Ling looks utterly bewildered. He glances at his powerful father, sitting upright below the throne, seemingly unable to understand what has happened.

Wait, that's not what I meant by second only to The Outcast and above everyone else! Dad, you went too far with all that competing. You even took out the useless emperor!

Oh well, I'm emperor now. I want the chief grand secretary's son as my study companion! Xiao Ling quickly gets into character.

[The 1990s]

This is an inspirational period novel. The male lead is independent and hardworking, and is preparing to take the college entrance exams. He plans to seize the opportunities of the times and go into business, building a successful career for himself.

The villain, his foil, is still in the village, brawling and causing trouble, a vicious and cold-blooded troublemaker. In the end, during the anti-crime campaign, he and his lackeys are brought down and sentenced to the firing squad.

Five-year-old Xiao Ling buries his head over a bowl of rice and eats for all he's worth. He grabs his father, who's about to head out and cause trouble. "Dad, stop fighting and hurry up and make money. Take me to the city. I want to ride in a pretty little car."

The 1990s are a great time to make a fortune. We need to get rich quick. This life where we sometimes eat our fill and sometimes go hungry is really too much for me, your kid.

Villain Dad pats his head, thoughtful. "Got it."

Not long after, his father teaches himself and gets into the computer science department. He works his way up to become the city's richest man and builds a vast internet business empire. His company is set to go public in America.

Where is the original male lead? He has just graduated from college, full of hope, working hard to contribute to the villain's company and save up for his first apartment.

--At ten years old, Xiao Ling is already touring the world in a private helicopter.

The person piloting it is his childhood friend from this life, a cool, reserved young man with black hair, steady and distinguished.

When they were little, they ate rice with pickled vegetables and steamed corn buns together, and took part in buying and selling goods for profit. Then, when he was fourteen, the boy suddenly addressed him as "Your Majesty."

Xiao Ling: "?"

The nerve! Look at that blue sky, the sky of liberation. The emperors are long gone. Who are you calling Your Majesty?

[The Schoolwork and Studying Novel]

At a cram school for gifted kids aiming for Qingbei, Xiao Ling yawns while studying phonetic symbols.

He glances at his schedule: at three years old, he's about to start dance, martial arts, mental arithmetic, and more.

He takes one look and gets furious. "Why do I have to learn all this? Even the adults in my family can't do it!"

I'm not studying anymore!

Xiao Ling runs home and tells his father, "What a waste to give all these great resources to me! Why don't you take the classes yourself?"

If you can't get into college, stop counting on the next generation!

Dad: "..."

From then on, the gifted-kids class has a young father who came to raise a gifted child, only to get pushed into studying himself.

There's also a sixteen-year-old boy in the class who respectfully calls Xiao Ling his father-in-law whenever he sees him.

[The Rest Is Still To Be Decided]

In short, this is a lie flat novel where the protagonist eats and enjoys himself while the villain competes himself to death, working hard for his kid.

P.S. The original male lead is not villainized.

P.P.S. The love interest is the kid's childhood friend. They grow up together, slowly and steadily. The love interest absolutely spoils the protagonist, and the story includes a gradual awakening of memories from a past life.

Theme: Unless you push your parents a little, how will they know what they're capable of?