Chapter 1 A-01

Chapter 1 A-01

Yun Xiu awoke in a warm, broad embrace.

The moment he opened his eyes, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

"Welcome, Host, to the big family of the Cannon Fodder Department. System 1461 is at your service."

"Receiving mission information… Reception complete."

"Mission summary: You are the fake young master of the Yun family, switched at birth. Pampered for eighteen years, you climbed into your eldest brother’s bed because you didn’t want to leave the Yun family. After successfully staying, you not only targeted the real young master, Yun Qian, at every turn but also competed fiercely for favor, ultimately being exiled to Africa to weld railways."

The second-person delivery was highly immersive. As the system’s words faded, Yun Xiu’s eyes widened in shock, his pupils trembling.

Wait a minute, are the plots in the Cannon Fodder Department always this explosive?

Yun Xiu had previously taken on mostly xianxia storyline missions, where completing a single task yielded rich rewards, so he had never encountered this kind of plot before.

1461 continued, "This world’s difficulty is three stars. Task completion reward: 10,000 points. Task failure: no penalties."

Hearing "three-star difficulty," Yun Xiu felt slightly relieved. Hearing "no penalties," he relaxed completely.

Before transferring to the Cannon Fodder Department, Yun Xiu had worked in the Second Male Department for two years. The pay was high, commensurate with the hundreds of tasks completed, but the slightest mistake would result in deductions from his salary. He worked diligently and, feeling he had earned enough, immediately applied to transfer to the reputedly relaxed Cannon Fodder Department. Otherwise, no matter how much he earned, it wouldn’t be enough to cover the deductions.

The seniors at the Quick Transmigration Bureau hadn’t lied to him. Cannon Fodder tasks were concise and general, and a three-star difficulty mission surprisingly had no fixed script. Most importantly, there were no salary deductions.

No character setup, no plot—did this mean he could improvise freely based on the script?

Hell yeah, this is awesome!

Back to the topic, Yun Xiu sensed someone behind him—undoubtedly the eldest brother of the Yun family. He subtly reached back, wanting to feel if the elder brother had abs.

As everyone knew, in Green River stories, the second male lead, due to his obsessive love for the female lead or the main character (shou), remained chaste for his beloved, dying a virgin.

Yun Xiu, working in the Green River Quick Transmigration Bureau’s Second Male Department, had no chance to "get any action." But what’s the point if you’re not into some fun?

He was attracted to men, loved men, and would check out hot guys!

His hand stealthily crept under the covers, but just as it was about to reach its destination, Yun Xiu’s hand stopped because a burningly hot, strong hand gripped his wrist.

The man’s voice was hoarse, his grip frighteningly strong, carrying the displeasure of being awakened. "What are you doing?"

Yun Xiu certainly couldn’t say he wanted to feel for abs and see what he’s working with. Without changing his expression, he fabricated, "I wanted to check if elder brother usually exercises properly."

Yun He sneered coldly, "Then how do you explain bringing me water in the middle of the night only to drug me?"

Yun Xiu was stunned. Did the original host really go that far?

But he quickly realized his body showed no unusual signs, and a certain place didn’t have the soreness after doing it. Had Yun He discovered something and was bluffing him?

Just as he hesitated whether to answer, the tightly shut door suddenly swung open, and a middle-aged couple walked in.

Yun Xiu’s slightly tense back instantly relaxed, and he leaned completely into the man’s embrace, awaiting the upcoming plot.

Shouldn’t they scold the adopted son for being improper and then reluctantly accept the male son-in-law?

"Yun He! You’ve truly disappointed your mother and me!!"

Surprisingly, Yun Father directed all his fury at Yun He.

"What did we tell you before our trip? To take good care of your younger brother! Is this how you care for him? If we’d known you had ill intentions toward him, we should have taken Xiu Xiu with us!"

Yun He behind him remained silent, while a question mark slowly formed above Yun Xiu’s head.

Huh?

Yun Mother was much calmer and analyzed, "You don’t know how to care for people. Xiu Xiu would only be miserable married to you. You two aren’t suitable. Let’s pretend this never happened."

They knew their own son. Xiu Xiu’s neck was clean and unmarked; the brothers had likely just slept together.

If something had really happened, given Yun He’s personality, he wouldn’t have failed to claim him and make it public.

Yun Xiu was completely baffled. You’ve arranged everything, but what about my plot??

Although he had thought about winging it, it didn’t mean Yun Xiu would stand by and watch an important plot point change inexplicably. Anxiously, he stuck out an arm, raised his hand, and shouted, "Mom, Dad, I have something to say!"

Yun Father and Yun Mother: ?

Yun Mother, familiar with her little one’s temperament, frowned. "Xiu Xiu, stop messing around."

Yun He, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke, his tone indifferent. "What opinion do you have?"

Yun Xiu immersed himself in the role of a lovesick person, his pretty face full of stubbornness. "Mom, Dad, elder brother and I are truly in love. Please let us be together!"

This time, it was Yun He’s turn to have question marks all over his head: "…"

Yun Xiu pinched the soft flesh at his waist hard, and his bright, expressive eyes instantly welled up with tears. Choking up, he said, "It’s my fault. I’ve admired elder brother for a long time, but because of our brotherly relationship, I couldn’t express my feelings. After learning I’m not your biological child, my love became uncontrollable. Last night, I even… It has nothing to do with elder brother. Please don’t scold him."

Yun Xiu had delicate, beautiful features. As a child, he was pretty and doll-like, resembling a little celestial boy. As he grew older, he became even more radiantly attractive. In contrast, everyone in the Yun family had sharp, bold features—sharp and aggressive, regardless of age.

The Yun family had often said Yun Xiu was a genetic mutation of the old Yun family.

Now, seeing their beloved little one blink, tears falling like broken pearls, how could Yun Father and Yun Mother bear to blame him?

As for the words Yun Xiu spoke, they didn’t believe a single one, firmly convinced he was protecting Yun He and taking all the blame upon himself.

"Xiu Xiu, don’t cover for your elder brother…"

Yun Father still wanted to persuade his little one. Three-legged frogs are rare, but two-legged men are everywhere. Even if he liked men, there was no need to cling to Yun He. He could find more great guys for Yun Xiu to choose from.

Before he could finish, his wife gently pushed him. "Let the children get dressed first. We can talk about everything else outside."

The plot had collapsed from the very beginning, making Yun Xiu think of the three-star difficulty. Was this low-level world so low-level that there were fewer restrictions?

While mulling it over, after Yun Father and Yun Mother left the room, Yun Xiu got dressed.

To be honest, lying naked under the covers while talking to elders was quite awkward.

Yun He watched him effortlessly open the wardrobe and reminded him, "You’re taking my clothes."

Yun He was a sharp guy. Yun Xiu didn’t know why he didn’t expose him and didn’t care about his opinion, but he had to keep up appearances.

Pitifully, he said, "Brother, I came here last night only in a towel. Going out like this would piss off Mom and Dad. Let me borrow your clothes!"

Not at all—wearing Yun He’s clothes would make Yun Father and Yun Mother even angrier.

It was said that the youngest child was the baby of the family. Earlier, when they found out, the couple, loving their son dearly and considering Yun He was eight years older than Yun Xiu and old enough to know better, had impulsively pushed all the blame onto their eldest son.

Now, after a time to cool down, if he didn’t wear his own clothes but instead went out in oversized clothing, Yun Father and Yun Mother would surely misinterpret it, thinking he was up to no good, right?

After all, Yun He is the most outstanding younger generation member of the Yun family.

Yun He scoffed upon hearing this, "Even if you try to deepen your ties with the Yun family, it won’t stop Yun Qian from returning."

He directly exposed one of the original host’s motives.

The second motive, of course, was to stay in the Yun family.

Although he didn’t know what role the original host played in the story—the system hadn’t mentioned it, likely just an unimportant side character—he didn’t think the original host’s schemes were particularly clever.

Yun Xiu continued to ad-lib, with tears welling in his eyes, and said, "Brother, you’ve misunderstood me…"

With a performatively pitiful look, Yun He frowned, feeling a headache coming on.

He was naturally aloof and didn’t have a particularly close relationship with this younger brother. Still, after so many years of brotherly bond, it wasn’t something that would change overnight just because they’d shared a household. In the past, he saw Yun Xiu as an older brother dealing with a rebellious younger brother, thinking he was just hard to discipline. But now it seemed that if he didn’t step in, Yun Xiu would soon get away with murder!

When Yun He didn’t respond, Yun Xiu took it as agreement and happily picked out an oversized white shirt and a pair of black knee-length shorts.

Those were Yun He’s shorts from his university days. He initially wanted to stop Yun Xiu and tell him to pick something else, but when he saw the sly, triumphant smile on the young man’s face, he swallowed his words.

Never mind, he thought. Whether Yun Xiu wore them or not, he was going to throw those pants away anyway. Might as well put them to one last use.

Yun Xiu got dressed and stood in front of the full-length mirror to examine himself.

Hmm, it was his original appearance.

Five stars!

The young man in the mirror had bright, clear eyes with a rounded, cat-like shape at the corners, making him appear pure, harmless, and naturally kind at first glance.

It was precisely because of his good looks that, in the Yun family that valued blood relations, almost no one suggested kicking Yun Xiu out of the Yun family, even though they knew he wasn’t a true Yun family young master. Compared to the strong-featured and prematurely mature Yun family members, a good-looking, sweet-talking younger generation like him was quite cherished in the Yun family.

After all, it was just a matter of adding one more place setting. Some even came to probe Yun Xiu’s parents—if they didn’t want to raise him, he could be adopted by a branch of the family.

Naturally, Yun Xiu’s parents weren’t willing. After seeing those people off, they went on a trip to relax, adopting an "out of sight, out of mind" approach.

Who would have thought that just as the branch family stopped causing trouble, trouble would brew at home!

Yun Xiu followed Yun He out and sat obediently on the sofa across from the elders, head slightly bowed, eyes downcast, looking like a stubborn child who would take the scolding but not heed it.

Yun Xiu’s parents exchanged a glance, both feeling rather exasperated.

Theoretically, Yun Xiu was no longer on their household register. Even if he married Yun He, no one could say anything. Moreover, Yun Xiu’s biological parents had made it clear that he was already an adult and they wouldn’t provide financial support. Keeping him at home to take care of him would set their hearts at rest.

The problem was, their eldest son had never indulged the younger one’s spoiled personality. They were genuinely worried that the two would end up at odds, turning brotherhood into resentment.

Yun Xiu’s parents spent half an hour reasoning with him earnestly. Deep down, Yun Xiu was moved, thinking how hard it was to be a parent, but on the surface, he remained uncooperative, stubbornly insisting on getting married.

In the end, Yun Xiu’s parents were at a loss until Yun He finally spoke up.

The man sat on an armchair nearby, glanced indifferently at the young man whose expression was hidden by his bowed head, and said, "We can get the marriage certificate, but there will be no wedding ceremony, and it won’t be announced publicly. If you can accept that, we’ll go to city hall tomorrow."

Before Yun Xiu could respond, Yun Xiu’s mother snapped angrily, "You brat, say that again? I’ll tan your hide!"

The elegant and beautiful lady instantly flew into a rage, her eyes blazing as if she had transformed into a fire-breathing dragon protecting her young. She grabbed a slipper and swung it at her eldest son.

Yun He had been taught since childhood to uphold proper etiquette, even with family. He never expected his mother to be so provoked as to resort to such behavior. For a moment, he was forced into a frantic dodging around the living room.

He didn’t dare fight back, afraid his parents would gang up on him and attract the attention of the servants.

If that happened, he would truly lose all dignity.

Yun Xiu secretly watched the battle between his brother and the slipper for a while, barely holding back his laughter.

Fortunately, Yun Xiu’s father kept a cool head. Instead of joining in as his wife disciplined their eldest son, he waited until things had calmed down a bit, then wrapped his arms around her waist and persuaded her, "Don’t be like this. We’re here to discuss a solution. Let’s talk things through calmly. Violence won’t solve anything. Whether we agree or not, we still need to ask for the little one’s opinion!"

Yun Xiu’s mother was just caught up in the heat of the moment—more about making a show than actually teaching a lesson, and she hadn’t used much force.

She knew perfectly well that the true and false young master scandal was under intense public scrutiny. Even if Yun Xiu married Yun He, it wouldn’t be appropriate to announce their marriage until the public scrutiny had passed.

Yun Xiu cleared his throat, pretended to cast a resentful glance at Yun He, then lowered his head again and said, "I have no objections, Mom."

Yun Xiu’s mother felt both soft-hearted and affectionate toward him in that moment, shooting her eldest son a look that said, "What a waste of a perfectly good catch!"

Such a beautiful and thoughtful treasure paired with a clueless blockhead—what a waste!

As the saying went, Yun He was an excellent heir, a qualified son, and a qualified older brother, but he wasn’t marriage material.

Even if Yun Xiu’s mother wanted to side with him, she couldn’t ignore so many flaws and claim with a clear conscience that the two were a perfect match.

Apart from their looks, nothing about them matched.

She felt like her face, which she had spent tens of millions on maintaining, was about to develop wrinkles from worry!

Yun He straightened his clothes, smoothing out the rumpled areas. With his calm expression, it was as if the person darting around the living room earlier wasn’t him. "Then we’ll get the certificate tomorrow. I’ll clear my schedule for it."

Agreeing to Yun Xiu’s request wasn’t due to a sudden compromise or because he had fallen in love with Yun Xiu. For him, it was a matter of the benefits outweighing the drawbacks.

First, he was twenty-six this year, and his parents had already been urging him to find a marriage partner. It wouldn’t be long before he entered the arranged marriage phase.

Second, judging by Yun Xiu’s behavior, if he didn’t go through with this marriage, things would continue to be chaotic. He didn’t have anyone he liked, so it didn’t matter whom he married. It was better to just make it official, get the certificate, and put his parents’ and Yun Xiu’s minds at ease.

As for Yun Qian, the Yun family knew where their priorities lay. Whatever Yun Xiu had, he would have as well.

And so, the matter was settled. Although the outcome was not perfect, it was a result everyone could accept.

It was still early. After having breakfast with his parents and older brother, Yun Xiu returned to his room to get some more sleep.

The first throwaway world, the first plot point just about managed—hopefully tomorrow would be another smooth day!