Am I Not Just a Stand-In?

Xi Siyuan was reborn.

He was the real young master in a real-versus-fake young master story. At eighteen, when he was at his lowest, he was finally brought back to the Cheng family. In his previous life, he couldn’t accept it. After returning, he fought endless battles. Sometimes he won, sometimes he lost, and in the end he worked himself to death.

In this life, he was willing to give up his place. When his birth mother said, “Cheng Shu is our child too,” he grabbed his suitcase and walked away without a second thought.

He had no money. He hesitated briefly between borrowing some and looking for work, when someone held out a bank card to him.

“Want to be my stand-in?” The voice was deep and pleasant.

Xi Siyuan looked up. Great, it was his archenemy from his previous life.

They had fought tooth and nail in the business world for two years. He had won a crucial battle against this man, but it had left him badly weakened. In the end, he let his guard down and the fake young master stole the credit.

Xi Siyuan looked down at his penniless self and accepted without hesitation. “Sure. Pay me upfront.”

The other man readily agreed and transferred him the money. Xi Siyuan took his suitcase and went straight home with him.

“Let’s get one thing straight. I don’t know how to do much, so you’ll have to teach me whatever you need me to do.”

“Also, I’m still in school. I can’t come whenever you call.” He told the other man matter-of-factly.

“Fine,” the other man agreed.

Xi Siyuan: ?

He remembered his archenemy from his previous life as a master schemer. What happened to him?

In his previous life, Ye Yuruo had an opponent who planned every step carefully and clawed his way up from the bottom, giving him no end of trouble.

He considered the man his rival, but also admired him.

After being reborn, the first thing he did was track the man down and bring him home.

Then he realized something was off about the person he’d brought back.

The man who had once been cautious and deliberate now lounged around lazily, doing as little as possible.

The man who had once been decisive and ruthless, and given him so many headaches, now wore a little apron and spent every day figuring out what to eat. When he had nothing else to do, he sunbathed and drank goji berry tea. His routine was more regular than an old person’s.

Ye Yuruo: Did I bring home the wrong person?

Much, much later, Xi Siyuan, who was determined to do nothing with his life, finally heard the rumors that he and Ye Yuruo were dating. He reached out and poked Ye Yuruo beside him.

“Everyone says you like me. Aren’t you going to deny it?”

“Deny it?” Ye Yuruo lowered his gaze, put an arm around Xi Siyuan, who was leaning against him, and kissed him. “Isn’t it true?”

Xi Siyuan, who had been about to run away: ?

Ye Yuruo ticked them off. “You cuddled up to me in your sleep yesterday, the day before, and the day before that. We’ve been intimate. You’re not going to deny it, are you?”

Xi Siyuan was stunned. “Aren’t I your stand-in???”

Theme: Stop wearing yourself down. Be your truest self