I'm Newton's Beloved Cousin

(The full manuscript is being written and will be complete before I start posting.)

After transmigrating, twelve-year-old Ai Chun met thirteen-year-old Newton, who was also an orphan.

Little Ai Chun had no idea what to do. All he knew was that the great man from his physics textbook was right in front of him. If he could cling to Newton's coattails, he was sure to make it big one day.

So Ai Chun knocked on Newton's door and pleaded pitifully:

“Hello, Big Brother Newton. My name is Chunchun. Can I be your little brother?”

“I don't eat much, I'm easy to look after, and I can help you earn money.”

“Chunchun wants us to be a family.”

*

The most bewildering moment of Newton's life was when a pretty little boy from the East showed up at his door, insisting on becoming his younger brother.

The boy had suffered oxygen deprivation at birth, leaving him with an IQ of just 86. He was always a beat behind, couldn't even count money properly, and stuttered when he got flustered, yet he had the nerve to claim he would take care of his big brother.

At first, Newton couldn't stand the boy.

“Don't cook for me. Your food is awful!”

“Did I force you to work and support me? What employer would hire an idiot like you?!”

“We'll never be family. Once we've earned some money, we'll go our separate ways!”

Ai Chun never argued back. Every time Newton scolded him, he'd just grin and carry on looking after him.

He might not have been smart, but he was precocious and sensible, and he supported Newton all the way into Cambridge without ever complaining.

Ai Chun thought their lives would finally get easier. But during graduation season, he went to bring Newton his cap and gown and overheard him looking down on him in front of the entire class.

Newton spoke casually, making no effort to hide his words even though Ai Chun was right there.

“This idiot isn't my brother. He's the one who insisted on following me.”

“He's good for nothing but his looks, and now I have to support him.”

“It's fine. He can't understand what we're saying.”

Even Ai Chun's slow mind could understand that perhaps he didn't belong by Newton's side.

After all, Newton was a future great man, while he was nothing but a fool with a low IQ.

So, using the plague that broke out that same year as cover, Ai Chun left all his savings behind, took only three loaves of black bread, and ran away.

Of course, Ai Chun had no idea that after he vanished without a trace, Newton went completely off the rails and searched the world for him like a madman.

*

Only after striking out on his own did Ai Chun discover that the world outside wasn't such a harsh place after all.

He was so beautiful he looked like a painting, and everyone adored him. As soon as he arrived in France, handsome men and beautiful women began pursuing him. He spent every day flitting from one admirer to another. Charles invited him to help design the Palace of Versailles, and Pascal asked him to ride in a hot-air balloon...

But after only a few carefree days, Newton crossed the English Channel and stormed into Paris. He took revenge on everyone who had dated Ai Chun, then dragged him back to England!

“I'm not your dependent!”

Ai Chun punched Newton in the face, expressing his anger in full for the first time.

“Ever since I was little, people have compared us. They praise you for being smart, then call me stupid! I've had enough!”

As Newton stared at the younger brother yelling at him, his mind, usually occupied with nothing but equations, churned out one terrible idea after another.

Faced with the choice between reasoning with him and apologizing, the “genius” chose to pull rank as his older brother.

Newton compiled a list of every man and woman who had shown interest in Ai Chun, then sent threatening letters to them in bulk, warning those shameless people not to covet his cousin or he'd cross mountains and rivers to bring them to justice!

After driving away every rat lurking in the shadows, Newton spoke with a calm, chilling laugh.

“It was my fault. I must have been too lenient with you and made you think you could escape me.”

“A fool without a clever older brother to guide him can get into all kinds of trouble. Who knows what might happen to you?”

“From now on, you'll stay with me, do research, and write papers. If you ever run away again, you'll regret it!”

Ai Chun burst into tears and begged for mercy every way he could, but Newton wouldn't budge. Instead, he laid down three rules:

1. No bottling things up. Any little grievance must be reported.

2. Become his assistant and help publish the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy.

3. No dating, no marriage. Devote your whole life to the cause of physics.

This wasn't tyranny. Newton knew he owed Ai Chun for all the help he'd received as a child, and now it was time to repay him.

Besides, Ai Chun was a fool. If he fell into the hands of bad people, his life would be ruined.

It was better for the two brothers to join forces and devote their lives to their work.

*

A century later, sociologists pieced together the twists and turns of Newton's life.

As a child, his cousin had helped him get into Cambridge.

After becoming famous, Newton used every bit of his wealth and power to take his cousin to the top with him.

Every one of Newton's papers depended on Ai Chun's proofreading. Ai Chun also supported all of Newton's theories without reservation, even daring to openly challenge those who opposed them...

From middle age into old age, the two chased criminals and cracked down on counterfeiters, fighting side by side.

Newton never married or had children. Before he died, he left all his savings to his beautiful, silly younger brother.

After burying Newton with his own hands, his brother was laid to rest with him in the same grave that Christmas.

[Reader's Guide]

1. Ai Chun is a genuine airhead beauty. Oxygen deprivation at birth caused his cognitive impairment. The average IQ is 85 to 114, so Ai Chun is at the lower edge of the normal range and a little slow, but he is not intellectually disabled!

2. This is a platonic story about healing, redemption, and family, with no romance. After Ai Chun turns eighteen, some side characters will express romantic interest in him, but he never responds to them.

Newton never looked down on Ai Chun. He was young and cared too much about appearances, and the misunderstanding was minor. To emphasize once more, this is a healing and redemption story!

3. The plague, the crackdown on counterfeiting, and other major plot points are based on real history. Many other, less important details are fictionalized.

4. The story is largely an alternate universe, so there's no need to scrutinize the history. Just enjoy it as a playful work of historical fiction. Thank you!

Core message: Unity is strength. Many hands make light work.