This Humble Official Hasn’t Long to Live

[A cool-on-the-outside, warm-on-the-inside regent top x an optimistic, sweet, drama-loving bottom. A ridiculous little sweet treat, updated every night at nine. Posting a thousand-word chapter a day! 🤗]

[Starts July 23. The launch date is Xiao Fengxuan’s birthday 🥳]

Xiao Mingshu, an obscure actor, is chosen by the System and becomes the good-for-nothing younger brother of the all-powerful regent who dominates the court.

The good news: his powerful older brother grants his every request, and the System lets him choose one job-related skill to help keep himself alive.

The bad news: his brother is the suicidal, villainous antagonist of a revenge fantasy. Though skilled in both letters and arms, he’s stubborn and has a knack for making enemies. In the end, he and his precious younger brother are both killed by the overpowered male lead!

Newly arrived in this world, Xiao Mingshu hears the dreadful news, suffers a sudden cardiac arrest, and collapses unconscious.

*

When Xiao Mingshu opens his eyes again, he finds his older brother staying by his side without leaving him for a moment, even missing several crucial military affairs in the process. One of them happens to involve an assassination.

Xiao Mingshu’s eyes light up. His actor instincts kick in, and he immediately calls up the System to give himself a “frail and sickly” buff!

When his brother plans to kill a loyal senior court official, Xiao Mingshu promptly spits blood and collapses.

When his brother plans to seize the throne and slaughter innocents, Xiao Mingshu clutches his chest and cries out in pain.

When his brother is egged on to believe a rumor, Xiao Mingshu closes his eyes and pretends to pass out.

Your humble servant is gravely ill and has little time left. I only ask that you, dear brother, don’t stray from the right path!

His whole strategy is to act like his life depends on it, keeping his own big brother firmly in hand!

After a while, his brother really does start to worry about him. He indulges Xiao Mingshu at every turn, and even personally tends to him with utmost care, never leaving his side.

But before long, that care seems to cross a line.

First, his brother massages his waist and legs. Then they bathe together. Before long, they’re sleeping in the same bed. His brother even insists on taking care of everything in bed so Xiao Mingshu won’t tire himself out.

Seeing how sincere his brother is, Xiao Mingshu feels guilty and quickly turns off his System buff.

He never expects his brother’s first act after seizing power to be taking Xiao Mingshu’s hand with heartfelt relief and saying, “Ashu, now that you’re better, let’s get married at once!”

Xiao Mingshu: “...Wait! No! This time my chest, my head, and every inch of my body really do hurt, big brother! Please don’t!” TT

His brother: “It’s fine. Soon, your waist will be the only thing that hurts.”

^^

*

In his past life, Xiao Fengxuan had a string of glorious military victories, only to lose to the protagonist’s plot armor. Worse, on his deathbed, he was stabbed through the heart by someone dear to him.

Though Xiao Meng wasn’t his biological younger brother, Xiao Fengxuan had raised him all these years and tirelessly cleaned up after him. In Xiao Fengxuan’s eyes, he was no different from a blood relative.

He never imagined Xiao Meng could be so stupid and treacherous, making Xiao Fengxuan suffer so terribly even at the very end.

When Xiao Fengxuan opens his eyes again, he hears that this spoiled brat has caused trouble. He immediately clenches his fists and rushes over, determined to teach him a proper lesson!

But the little darling grabs the corner of his clothes, looking as though he’s about to burst into tears. Wheezing and coughing, he pleads pitifully:

“I know Big Brother cares about me most, so you have to take good care of yourself for my sake, okay?”

Xiao Fengxuan’s anger vanishes in an instant. His clenched fist relaxes, and he gently strokes Xiao Mingshu’s hair.

“All right. Big Brother will do as you say.”

A scheming bottom who pretends to be frail, and a top who saw through the act early on but indulges him anyway.

Transmigration into another body, no blood relation. Overall, a lighthearted, silly little sweet treat. Older top, nine-year age gap.

(Blurb written on February 23, 2026. February 23 is protagonist Xiao Mingshu’s birthday 🥳)

Theme: Be honest, and weather hardships together.