I Accidentally Raised the Crown Prince

#Damn it, he's already had it so rough. I absolutely cannot let him think I'm taking pity on him#

#He really does have a lot of self-respect. That's good. He's a tall, handsome top student, so I think he can afford to be a little more arrogant#

#As a college guy, surely it's not unreasonable for me to take care of another college guy who's really handsome and pure, right? Maybe I should give him some money too?#

#Damn you, Lu Cheng! How are you going to pay me back for this?! Pun penalty for the pun!!!#

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Xu Anran, the son of a nouveau riche family, had barely scraped into a university in the capital. At least he wouldn't have to inherit the dull family business so soon.

He entered the hallowed university campus with a heart full of gratitude and a sincere commitment to money, only to discover

There were far too many poor classmates in desperate need of his help.

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Never mind the kind upperclassman whose family had worked in geology for three generations, but who still had to tutor people to earn money. Take Lu Cheng, the upperclassman who shared his dorm: his parents were dead, his grandfather was paralyzed, his younger sister was disabled, and he himself had been badly injured trying to save someone. His expenses exceeded his income, and he even had to drag his still-healing kidneys out to take on exhausting part-time jobs. His life was so tragic it could move the heavens.

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Xu Anran: Damn it, how can I just stand by and do nothing?!

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Later, Xu Anran even hired the upperclassman as his absurdly expensive live-in housekeeper

Though for some reason, the upperclassman seemed even worse at housekeeping than he was.

But that didn't matter. Just being able to see the kind and beautiful upperclassman every day made him happy. And if the upperclassman acted a little aloof, he could protect poor Xu Anran better when they went out.

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And later still...

"Brother Lu, what do you think would be an appropriate gift to bring when we visit Grandpa? Would it be too forward to put the property deed in his name as a voluntary gift?"

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Lu Cheng had never met anyone as naive and sweet as Xu Anran.

At first, he just thought it was amusing. He didn't believe a nouveau riche kid would go to any lengths for a complete stranger just because of a little sincerity.

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Throwing money around was the most basic skill in their social circle, and the one people looked down on most.

But Lu Cheng discovered

He was wrong. So very wrong.

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And worse still, after he presumptuously took Xu Anran to meet his grandfather, Xu Anran looked at him with such finality when he left.

For the next five years, Lu Cheng never saw Xu Anran again, not even once.

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[Don't ask. It's a ridiculous, melodramatic little rom-com. All you need to know is that the upperclassman Lu Cheng, moved to tears, stares at the five million in his student aid account and wonders, "Am I part of your PLAY too?"]

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PS: Naive, sweet nouveau riche airhead bottom x crown prince of a powerful family, who thinks he's a fake aloof beauty top.

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Theme: A lie often begins with many more lies, and eventually leads to a reality that spirals out of control.