He Lied and Said He Was a Pitiful, Unlucky Guy

Prince Momo, first in line to the throne, was framed by an evil villain and ended up far from home. Luckily, he eventually reclaimed the throne, only to transmigrate to another world after an accident.

Looking at the speeding metal box in front of him, the penniless and clueless little prince had no choice but to fake an accident and latch onto someone who could pay for his meals.

But after going home with him, he regretted it. The man was so poor that he had to drink his tears instead of water.

Oh well, he would make do. To ensure his meal ticket's loyalty, Momo learned that the man had also been robbed of his family fortune by villains. Sympathizing with him, Momo offered to help him reclaim everything that was rightfully his!

Hmph, foolish commoner. Hurry up and thank me on your knees!

*

Meng Jin, the darling of heaven and scion of a wealthy family, defeated every other heir in the family's internal power struggle. But his tactics were too ruthless and evil, so he was temporarily exiled to appease the public. Meng Jin didn't care at all, until one day he met a "king" who claimed he could help him reclaim his throne.

The name sounded familiar. Meng Jin flipped through a book and, well, wasn't this the protagonist from The Brave Little Prince, the fairy tale every five-year-old has read? That silly, dim-witted little prince.

Interesting. I'll keep him around.

*

The little prince had no idea that Meng Jin was the "evil villain" who had usurped the throne. With wide, dark eyes, he said earnestly, "To reclaim your throne, first you need wisdom." He was holding a pile of self-help books.

Meng Jin: "...Yes, very wise." Is this little guy an idiot?

"Next, you need a healthy body!" the little prince declared solemnly, taking Meng Jin winter swimming. The little prince caught a cold, while Meng Jin swam three thousand meters nearly naked, showing off his lean muscles, without a scratch.

"Finally, you need the help of a powerful outside force!" The little prince pointed at a fortune teller in a robe by the roadside.

Meng Jin: "..." He's actually... kind of cute.

*

With his help, the man's path to reclaiming the throne proceeded smoothly, and Momo was delighted. Sometimes he was sexually harassed, but it was fine. He enjoyed it too.

Until one day, a large group of men in black appeared at home. They respectfully called the man Young Master and asked him to come home. When Momo saw the mansion before him, bigger than his own castle, his world fell apart.

"Didn't you say you were so poor you had to shake the water off your vegetables before buying them?!!!"

Meng Jin smiled gently. "Darling, don't be ridiculous. Come see the crown I just had auctioned off for you."

[Bonus Scene]

Momo was heartbroken. He never imagined he'd helped the wrong person. But it was fine. There was still time to change course, so he decided to find Meng Jin's real older brother, the one who should have inherited the throne! He'd switch to a different meal ticket!

But just as he was negotiating with Meng Jin's brother, Meng Jin came charging over.

His brother ran away in a panic, leaving Momo all alone and bewildered.

The man dropped his usual gentle manner, his smile chilling. "Darling, if I'd been a little later, would you have changed your hair color?"

A green-tea top who's gentle as water on the surface but cruel and ruthless underneath X a proud, arrogant little prince who's brave and righteous but not very bright

Theme: Love that transcends time and space