introducing + chapter 1

Tian Ruan accidentally drowned before his college entrance exams and woke up as the cannon-fodder young daddy in a BL novel from Jinjiang.

In the original story, the young daddy was only twenty years old when he schemed to seduce the wealthy adoptive father of the main protagonist—Yu Jingmo, the ruthless and unapproachable head of the Yu family.

Overnight, he transformed from a nobody into a young daddy of a wealthy family. Though Yu Jingmo had no affection for him and never touched him, their marriage was merely a facade to silence gossip.

As a cannon-fodder character, the young daddy had two major “achievements”: constantly testing the limits of his powerful husband’s patience and continually creating obstacles for the protagonist, his adoptive son.

In short, the young daddy was a reckless idiot who met his demise after the protagonist finished his college entrance exams, getting caught up in a wealthy family feud.

When Tian Ruan transmigrated into this role, he trembled in fear.

That night, his devastatingly handsome husband returned and asked why he was shaking.

Tian Ruan: Can we get a divorce?

Yu Jingmo: Go read the prenuptial agreement again.

Clause Five of the agreement stated that their marriage would last three years and automatically dissolve afterward. If either party breached the contract, they would owe the other 100 million euros in compensation.

Tian Ruan: …

Unable to afford a divorce, Tian Ruan had to find another way to escape the wealthy family drama.

His gaze landed on the seventeen-year-old protagonist—youthful, tall, handsome, and looking great in his school uniform.

Tian Ruan was so envious he could cry.

Yu Jingmo’s expression darkened: What are you looking at?

Tian Ruan, tears welling up, pitifully pleaded: Husband, I want to go to school too QAQ

Yu Jingmo: ……

Protagonist: ……

What is this young daddy up to?

To everyone’s shock, a week later, Tian Ruan actually put on a school uniform and returned to class—in the same homeroom as his nominal adoptive son.

Tian Ruan: Son, let me copy your homework.

Tian Ruan: Son, you should get along well with your love interest. I won’t stand in your way.

Tian Ruan: Son, is wearing a school uniform inappropriate for my date with your dad tonight?

Protagonist: ……………………

Thus began the surreal school life of a twenty-year-old young daddy from a wealthy family.

At first, Yu Jingmo watched coldly, unconvinced that Tian Ruan truly wanted to study.

But after a month, Tian Ruan was still happily carrying his backpack to school every day, diligently doing homework at home, looking every bit the innocent honor student.

Yu Jingmo’s gaze darkened as he observed Tian Ruan’s long, straight legs under the school uniform and his snow-white wrists smudged with ink.

Tian Ruan in a school uniform… is kind of tempting.

The older man’s heart stirred, while the young wife remained oblivious to his allure.

Years later, in an interview, the famously cold and detached tycoon admitted: Young grass is quite fragrant.

____________________________________

Chapter 1

"What are you doing?" A stern young voice rang out.

Amid the splashing of water, Tian Ruan was grabbed by the collar and yanked out of the water.

Choking, dizziness, violent coughing—muffled voices echoed through the vast restroom like a fog.

"Young Master Yu, we had your back."

"Backing me how?"

"Didn’t this guy sleep with your dad—"

"What’s it to you?"

"We’re just looking out for you. How could a piece of trash like him be worthy of being your stepdad?"

Tian Ruan leaned against the sink, coughing until the corners of his eyes turned red, his face dripping with water, his hair and clothes soaked. His thoughts were muddled—where was this? How did he end up here?

The college entrance exam was in two days. Tian Ruan remembered attending a farewell party with his classmates in a KTV private room.

During the party, the boys were belting out songs off-key, while the girls sang nostalgic school songs together.

One girl even confessed to Tian Ruan, leaving him stunned. He politely declined with a quiet "Thank you."

By the time the party ended, it was nearly one in the morning. Everyone took taxis home, and Tian Ruan happened to share a ride with the girl who had confessed, making the trip awkward.

The dark night seemed perfect for something to happen—then, as the taxi crossed an old, dilapidated bridge, the structure cracked, and the car plunged into a pitch-black river.

Miraculously, a cop on night patrol happened to pass by and immediately jumped in to rescue the driver.

Before the officer could return, Tian Ruan pulled the girl out of the flooded car. She couldn’t swim, thrashing in panic—if screams could be heard underwater, it would’ve been a string of cries.

Tian Ruan’s swimming skills were limited, and he couldn’t pull her to safety. Just then, the officer finally came back.

He handed over the girl, who had gone limp from choking on water, and the officer nodded at him, gesturing for him to follow.

Tian Ruan wanted to follow—he really did. He had just turned eighteen, and the college entrance exam was two days away. He had his dream university and major in mind, and if possible, he even wanted to pursue a master’s and a Ph.D.

But his limbs felt weak, like he was dragging a ton of bricks. The dark river reflected the cold moonlight, and his vision blurred as he let out his last breath, sinking slowly—

When he came to, he found himself in this completely unfamiliar restroom.

"Are you okay?" That same cool teenage voice asked.

Tian Ruan gradually stopped coughing, staring blankly at the tall boy. Tiny water droplets fell from his long lashes, his thin eyelids tinged with red, accentuating his damp brown eyes—as if he’d been bullied to tears.

Young Master Yu frowned slightly, glancing at the group of wealthy brats who weren’t really friends.

The leader of the group smirked. "Young Master Yu, you're not actually mad about this, are you?"

Young Master Yu paused, then brushed past Tian Ruan with a cold expression, heading into the inner restroom.

Before Tian Ruan could process the situation, he heard their sneers again: "Hey, gold-digger, your ‘son’ doesn’t care about you."

"Son?" Tian Ruan was only eighteen—how could he have a son that old?

"Pfft, I’ve seen plenty like you," he spat. "Think marrying into the Yu family makes you royalty? Your troubles are just beginning—just wait."

Tian Ruan’s mind reeled—how did he suddenly have a son? And married into wealth? Had he become someone else? But when he looked into the gleaming mirror, it was unmistakably his own face.

No way was he going to take this lying down.

The trio kept sneering. Tian Ruan’s gaze locked onto the mop a worker had forgotten to take, and he grabbed it.

“Gonna mop the floor?” The three burst into exaggerated laughter, laced with sarcasm. “Truly a commoner.”

Sweat beaded on Tian Ruan’s forehead. “So, you’re nobles?”

Their laughter cut off. “We don’t need titles to be above trash like you. You’re the lowest kind of person in this world.”

“Then getting beaten by me must be really humiliating for you, huh?”

“What—”

*Thud thud thud thud thud!* The mop came down on their heads in a frenzy.

The three had no time to react—staggering, dazed, they clutched their heads, howling, “Stop!”

Tian Ruan didn’t retreat—he advanced, the grimy mop head pounding into them, splattering their designer clothes with filth.

“Stop!” they yelled.

“No,” Tian Ruan said. “Scream till your voices give out, but no one’s coming to save you.”

“…” What the hell?!

Enraged, the three lunged for the mop in a rage. Tian Ruan wasn’t as strong as them, but he didn’t panic. As they wrestled it away, he bolted for the sink, turned the faucet to full blast, blocked most of the flow with his hand, leaving only a narrow gap.

Water shot out, dousing the three completely.

They shrieked, furious, “Yu Shang!”

The tall, indifferent boy from earlier had appeared behind Tian Ruan at some point, arms crossed, watching the underdog fight back. Tian Ruan vaguely felt he’d seen the name before, but he had no time to dwell on it—he kept hosing them down.

Seeing Yu Shang unmoved, they flailed in outrage. “Yu Shang, make him stop!”

Yu Shang looked at them like they were idiots. “Can’t you just run?”

“…”

The three stood frozen, too proud to run. “Only cowards run!”

Then, a new voice cut through the chaos, amused. “Oh my, having a water fight?”

The “water fight” finally halted. Compared to Tian Ruan, who was only wet at the hair and suit, the three were a mess—like they’d been dragged through a gutter, filthy and disheveled.

The newcomer was a tall young man who, at first glance, looked almost ethereal—champagne-blond hair pulled into a messy bun at the back of his head, long brows, slender eyes, lips red and teeth white, smirking like a fox.

“President He, need the restroom?” Yu Shang stepped aside.

“No need for formalities, Shang—just call me Lansi.” He Lansi grinned. “What’s your stepdad’s deal?”

“You saw what happened.” Yu Shang had no patience for explanations and strode off toward the banquet hall.

He Lansi turned to the three. “Gentlemen, after bullying someone, you’re not running?”

They snapped, humiliated, “Are you blind? *He* sprayed us!”

He Lansi: "It's just water, not sperm. Why so worked up?"

"..."

He Lansi took out his phone and snapped a few photos of their miserable state. "Thanks for the juicy content for my feed."

The three flushed with anger and reached out to snatch the phone, but He Lansi deftly dodged, his fox-like eyes sweeping over them coldly, his smile not reaching his lips. "Guess your parents raised failures if you dare mess with me too."

The three froze abruptly, exchanging blank, robotic looks, then turned to point at Tian Ruan. "You just wait, asshole." One by one, they slunk off like kicked dogs.

He Lansi turned to Tian Ruan: "Those three are Su City's infamous 'fuckboy airheads.' Why provoke them?"

Tian Ruan washed his hands: "If I held your head underwater, you’d be pissed, right?"

"Of course I would." He Lansi walked over, eyeing Tian Ruan in the gleaming mirror. "I’d mop the floor with your legs."

Tian Ruan looked up in disbelief.

"Scared?" He Lansi chuckled. "Guess you’re still too soft."

Having been a model student for years, Tian Ruan had never encountered someone so brutal and immediately stepped back.

He Lansi narrowed his long, fox-like eyes slightly. "Are you really Tian Yuan?"

Tian Ruan froze. Tian Yuan? Wasn’t that the throwaway side character from a novel he’d read recently?

"Did they replace you?" He Lansi mused, studying Tian Ruan thoughtfully.

Tian Ruan snapped back to reality. "You’re... He Lansi?"

He Lansi smiled. "In Su City, aside from newborns, everyone knows my name. What, trying to ride my coattails?"

Tian Ruan asked again, "That guy around my age earlier—his name is Yu Shang?"

He Lansi fluttered his lashes, his champagne-colored hair striking under the dim yellow lights, his pretty face oozing charm. "What, don’t tell me you forgot your own son? Don’t tell me you forgot your own husband?"

Tian Ruan’s blood ran cold, his thoughts racing, but he forced his expression to remain steady. "My husband is Yu Jingmo."

The fox-eyed young man deflated, shaking his head in disappointment. "Too bad. I thought you got possessed. Those puppy eyes? All an act, huh?"

Tian Ruan: "..."

No wonder the book pegged him as the trickiest bastard. His freakish smarts and sharp judgment weren’t something ordinary people could handle.

Tian Ruan feigned composure and turned away, continuing to wash his hands.

He Lansi: "You wipe your ass with those hands?"

"..." Sharp eyes, sharper mouth. "I’m leaving."

This was a five-star hotel. Stepping out of the restroom led to a long corridor flanked by imposing walls and gold-plated doors, each labeled: Mermaid Hall, Longevity Hall, Dragon Hall, Pine Hall.

The floor had only four banquet halls, each astonishingly spacious. Tian Ruan walked for a while before reaching the end of the corridor—nothing there.

He immediately turned back, scanning the halls for any sign of an elevator—he had no intention of following the original plot. Drowning once was enough hell; he wanted to live a few more years.

Suddenly, a *ding* sounded. Tian Ruan heard the elevator arriving and stared dumbly as the "wall" split open, revealing two men stepping out.

The man at the front was towering and sharp, dressed in a tailored navy suit, his polished black shoes glinting off the polished black-gold marble. His long legs moved with a graceful but predatory walk.

Tian Ruan finally dared to glance at the man's face, which, unsurprisingly, was as cold and hard as his attire—sharply defined features, strikingly handsome as if chiseled from glacial ice by divine hands, radiating an untouchable aura that screamed 'stay back'.

The only soft thing one could find on him was a fine silk handkerchief folded in his breast pocket, giving off a subtle, icy scent as he approached.

Tian Ruan: "?"

The man stopped in front of Tian Ruan, looming over him.

Yes, literally looming.

Tian Ruan was 176 cm tall, but this man stood at least 190 cm.

He took half a step back, his gaze sliding past the assistant-like figure behind the man toward the elevator—his escape route.

Then, the man spoke, his voice cold and deep, like frost meeting marble: "Lost?"

Tian Ruan was, technically speaking, lost. He tilted his head slightly and nodded. The water on his face had completely dried, save for a few damp strands of hair clinging to his delicate brows. His eyelids were thin, his double eyelids barely there, framing long lashes and liquid-clear eyes—like some delicate woodland creature.

The man gave Tian Ruan’s pale, smooth face an appraising glance before shifting his gaze away. "How'd you get wet?"

"...Just... happened." Tian Ruan didn’t want to engage further with a stranger and was about to step toward the elevator when the man spoke again.

"Come with me."

"?"

Without waiting for a response, the man strode toward the distant banquet hall—the Mermaid Ballroom. His assistant threw Tian Ruan a significant glance.

Absently, Tian Ruan thought, *Who is this guy?*

With a dull thud, Tian Ruan walked straight into a brick wall of muscle. He looked up into the man’s icy eyes.

Tian Ruan: "...Sorry."

The man said nothing. His assistant stepped forward and pushed open the intricately carved double doors of the banquet hall. A wave of laughter and crystal clinks rushed out like a tidal wave.

It hit Tian Ruan like a lightning bolt. *So… this man is my so-called husband, Yu Jingmo?*

His legs turned to stone. Unconsciously, he stopped walking. When he snapped back to reality, his eyes met Yu Jingmo’s ink-black gaze. His entire body stiffened, his soul practically leaving his body.

Yu Jingmo: "You don't seem to recognize me."

Tian Ruan: "…………"

---

The emcee raised the microphone and boomed cheerfully, "Welcome the newlyweds!"

Like a lamb led to slaughter, Tian Ruan was pulled into the glittering human zoo by a wolf from the snow-capped highlands.

"Sir, I—" Tian Ruan’s voice was drowned out by applause.

The man’s hand was enormous, easily engulfing Tian Ruan’s. He led him firmly into the banquet hall, slipping on a gracious facade as he nodded to the crowd.

Red carpet, flowers, balloons, cascading vines and crystal chandeliers, sparkling towers of champagne glasses—the scent of wine mingling with the guests’ perfumes. There was no doubt: this was a wedding.

And the stars of the wedding were Tian Ruan and the man beside him.

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