Chapter 1 Cousin’s Forcible Seizure of You

Chapter 1: The Cousin’s Ruthless Takeover

Lou Han woke up in an unfamiliar room.

Everything about his awakening told him he had transmigrated.

At that moment, he had messy hair and a sallow complexion. The beer bottles scattered haphazardly made it clear that this body had just been through a heavy drinking session.

On the table, a computer was playing a financial channel, and the contact sending him messages on his phone was: A32u48121, Brother Wang.

Brother Wang: Reply. Can you really do it?

Lou Han, his head splitting with pain, opened his phone only to see another message from this Brother Wang:

Hurry up, 2.4 million, not a cent less. Pay the deposit first.

What the hell. Lou Han frowned and turned off his phone. The hangover made his head throb violently. He ran his cold, pale fingers through his hair, lost in thought, his eyes closed and silent.

Even though Lou Han showed no reaction, a large screen immediately appeared before his eyes, with blue, wavy text rapidly scrolling across it.

—It was an introduction page, very succinctly stating:

“Our aim is to achieve hidden goals. You only need to reach a perfect ending recognized by the system to complete the task.”

“First World: You are a person with no money, no intelligence, and no emotional intelligence—a triple-zero individual. You are one of the descendants of a prominent family. You need to rely on… (?? To be explored) to achieve a perfect ending in this level.

Are you ready?

…

Additional Information: Undetermined.

Other Worlds: Unlockable upon clearing this world.”

Lou Han lifted his head, gripping his hair, his expression cracking with bewildered suspicion. “Did you get my consent before binding me?”

In Lou Han’s era, high technology had advanced rapidly. Of course, he knew about systems. Some people would just wake up in a strange world because they had been bound by a system.

—It was said that such things were developed by tech giants. Their purpose was to allow people in the new era, whose material desires were all met, to enter virtual worlds, assume new identities, and experience absurd yet completely different lives.

Tech giants sold them as products, and for a time, their stocks soared, overshadowing other mega-corporations.

Lou Han also knew that, as more and more people purchased these systems, some in the Federal Congress had grown dissatisfied with the company. Some secretly claimed that such immersive virtual world devices, while seemingly offering novelty, actually posed significant mental health risks.

How did Lou Han know this?

Because his wife is the chairman of this tech giant!!

Lou Han’s wife, the eldest son of the Xi family—Xi Jingqi—owned numerous companies. He was always out early and back late, incredibly busy.

In short, Xi Jingqi was very wealthy. As a slacker, Lou Han had been particularly satisfied since marrying him. Although the couple couldn’t meet often due to busy work schedules, it was an arrangement he couldn’t really complain about.

So, regarding this tech company, Lou Han had only heard his wife mention it briefly before bed and had never considered purchasing such a thing to spice up his life.

What a joke. His life was already very happy.

So, being bound like this was utterly baffling??

After some mindless back-and-forth with the system, Lou Han completely gave up on getting it to let him go. According to the system, he had to complete tasks in several small worlds before he could return home.

This damn program was probably malfunctioning, insisting that Lou Han treat all of this as a trip.

“…” Lou Han really wanted to complain: Whose trip requires completing tasks before going home??

“Next is a detailed introduction to the small world.”

“This is an alternate dimension. The place you are in is the residence of a local influential family, the Lou family—a clan with deep roots and centuries of heritage. Unfortunately, after generations, it is now on the verge of decline due to incompetent descendants. A family banquet is about to be held to decide the future, while undercurrents swirl. Every member of the family is eager to gobble up the juiciest piece of the family assets.

You are one of the grandchildren of the current family head. Your parents died early, and you grew up overseas. Compared to others, you appear utterly unremarkable, almost invisible. Yet, you harbor ambitious, wolf-like intentions, deluding yourself into thinking you can outmaneuver the others. However, host, rest assured—the task is actually very simple. Right now, like the others, you have been summoned from various places to attend this meeting.”

A cold, mechanical voice sounded in Lou Han’s mind out of nowhere.

“Hello, host. Do you have any other questions?”

“…”

Although Lou Han’s thinking was somewhat muddled due to his headache, he was still clever enough to see that his task was to seize the family assets and revive the family.

Lou Han thought to himself, *Well, at least it’s a path of struggle.*

Lou Han calmly said:

“I want to obtain the memories of this body, since my current identity is entirely new.”

Unexpectedly, the system fell silent, then replied with the same cold, mechanical voice, “That’s not possible, host. This body of yours is also newly created virtually—it has no memories.”

?

Do you even hear what you’re saying?

The phone, which had just received new messages, was now silent.

Lou Han picked up the phone. It had no password. As soon as he opened it, he saw the chat page from when he woke up. By scrolling through the chat history between “him” and this Brother Wang, Lou Han noticed that their conversations were quite cryptic.

For example, Brother Wang’s tough-sounding name and his claim that he was a car salesman. He kept asking Lou Han for money to buy cars.

A full 2.4 million, no less.

But through the details, Lou Han could tell that this Brother Wang was likely someone this body had sought out to help compete for the family assets.

Brother Wang was probably a cover name, and the “cars” were likely the Lou family company’s business secrets.

Last night, they were almost about to close the deal, but “he” had asked Brother Wang to wait a little longer.

“I can only give you a few hundred thousand right now… Wait a bit longer, I’ll have it soon.”

That was “his” last reply to Brother Wang.

Lou Han hissed softly, finding it all rather amusing.

Only then did he carefully survey the entire room he was in. This was likely the residence assigned to his current identity upon returning to the Lou family. The Lou family was wealthy and influential. Although Lou Han was probably in a transparent position within the family, the room was still quite spacious and fully equipped with everything needed.

From his perspective, even though he was sitting on the floor, the financial news video playing on the computer on the table was noisy, and the scattered bottles made the place seem messy, the rest of the room was quite tidy.

*Hiss*, so Lou Han wondered: For someone like his current identity—with “wolf-like ambitions, trying to seize the family assets”—yet still watching financial videos to learn, such obvious foolishness—how on earth did he manage to get in touch with this Brother Wang?

And Brother Wang was demanding 2.4 million from him, with a very firm attitude, almost as if he wouldn’t budge even a single cent less.

Lou Han held the phone, musing with great interest.

He then checked the other contacts on the phone.

Hmm... nothing unusual.

Could it be that "he" was involved in some shady business (lit. "gray industry") behind the scenes?

As for anything more, Lou Han couldn't guess.

—Because he had no memory of the original owner.

Lou Han sat on the floor, thought for a moment, and said with a polite smile, "Mr. System, can you tell me if my guesses are correct?"

This time, he got an answer.

"I can tell you that." The system had never been addressed this way before, and its cold, mechanical tone softened slightly at Lou Han's manner of address.

"Your guesses are all correct. Your current identity is indeed attempting to engage in secret dealings with others."

"Piss off." Having learned what he wanted to know, Lou Han cursed the system with great satisfaction.

System: "..."

After scanning the entire room, Lou Han next approached the only mirror in the room, which reflected his appearance.

Lou Han exhaled.

He looked quite similar to his original self—tall, broad-shouldered, with a high nose bridge, and slightly younger than he used to be. He appeared like a vibrant, unremarkably handsome college student who had just started university.

Except... this person lacked both willpower and brains. Recalling everything he saw upon waking up, Lou Han felt a faint disdain for the reflection in the mirror.

But it didn't matter; Lou Han found it interesting and raised his head with a lifted eyebrow.

The system watched as Lou Han stared at the mirror for a while, then confirmed with it, "You said the task is very simple, right?"

"Yes." The system seemed to weigh its words before affirming, "Even though I said a lot earlier, rest assured, host, the task is actually very simple. So simple that you can treat all of this as a trip and enjoy life to the fullest."

For some reason, Lou Han detected a strange, rising inflection in the system's tone.

But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't figure out the real reason.

Lou Han instantly relaxed. The system observed that the host, who had been strong and aloof until now, curved his eyes at the air as if finally smiling at it. He even shrugged with a hint of mischievous childishness, "Actually, I'm someone who really prefers not to think too hard. It's best if I can win without effort."

Lou Han rubbed his dizzy head and stood up.

In the dim corner of the room, where light was scarce, the housekeeper who had come in to clean was bewildered as she looked at the young man. He was very pale, standing on the floor with a hand pressed to his forehead, his fairness almost dazzling.

The blazing light from the room's only lamp poured down, casting a hazy glow on his face. His dense eyelashes lowered, casting shadows under his brows like faint black lakes on jade-like skin. His nose bridge was high and straight, truly handsome.

The housekeeper softened her voice and asked awkwardly, "Young Master Han, it's time for you to visit the old master."

"Now?"

The housekeeper nodded. "The old master is ill and isn't very lucid. He only becomes clear-headed for a while around four in the afternoon. Everyone goes to see him then."

The other's voice was slightly hoarse yet carried the unique clarity of youth, quite different from the other young masters in this mansion. He said, "Thank you."

The housekeeper suddenly felt a bit flustered.

Even after this "Young Master Han" left, her heart remained unsettled.

This "Young Master Han" had just returned from overseas a few days ago and wasn't very familiar with the family. Although handsome and good-looking, he seemed to have a poor personality and wasn't liked by others in the mansion, causing even the servants who initially favored him to keep their distance.

But now, it seemed he was quite polite.

The moment he staggered up from the floor, one could notice that "Young Master Han's" eyes were also beautiful—bright and pure.

Thinking about it, for a boy of a type common in the Lou family, he nonetheless stood out among the young masters and ladies and caught the servants' attention not only because of his excellent looks but also because of his unforgettable aura. In today's society, plastic surgery is rampant, but a good aura can't be imitated—it's like the difference between inferior stone and jade.

The young man just now was like a piece of jade that had shed all surface dust.

Lou Han stepped out of the room into a corridor.

Even this simple passageway exuded an understated, luxurious essence. Several servants were intently wiping the paintings on the walls.

At the same time, an emotionless mechanical voice suddenly rang in Lou Han's ear, beginning to broadcast the situation.

"Environment detected, matching..."

"Activation successful, awaiting instructions."

"............" A chaotic series of dings and chimes.

A dull mechanical voice sounded, "Hello, host. You are now heading to the first novice mission point. I will continue to broadcast updates for you."

"..."

Lou Han stood at his doorway, tilting his head as his gaze swept over the unfamiliar surroundings. The corridor was spacious, with tall crystal chandeliers, elegant oil paintings on the walls, and thick, luxurious carpets. Through the servants polishing displayed porcelain on one side while unabashedly sizing him up, he could see further ahead, through the window, the Pegasus fountain in the garden under the azure sky.

"Host, you see, the environment is still quite pleasant."

"We've provided you with five-star treatment. Compared to the average quick-transmigration host, you should be happy because you'll truly have an unprecedented experience." Utterly sincere.

Lou Han ignored it completely.

He was sorting through the information the system had mentioned, walking forward slowly.

Family. Meeting. Struggle.

He was probably about to meet his "family" now.

Well, since it's the first mission location, things definitely won't be easy later. I need to think about how to handle it.

"Host, you must be careful. You'll soon meet your family in this world. They don't like you."

No need to tell me that.

He didn't respond, continuing forward with single-minded focus. Reaching the end of the corridor, he turned a corner and headed downstairs.

Arriving at the living room, his vision suddenly opened up.

The Lou family truly lived up to being a large clan; there were so many family members.

They were likely all heading to see "the old master"—Lou Han's grandfather.

"Go to hell. What kind of lousy idea is that? If you're stupid, just step down already." A man cursed with a "fuck," slamming the solid wood chair beside him so hard it shook. He wore a well-fitted suit and an expensive luxury watch, exuding the carefully crafted aura of wealth, yet it couldn't hide the ferocity about him.

"He is your third uncle, host."

The system chimed in as if glitching, "He's really not a fan of you, host."

Lou Han: "..."

Was his personality really that bad?

However, Lou Han wasn't a fan of this third uncle either; he was still puffing on a cigarette even with women and children present in the room.

As the saying goes, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. The Lou family was exactly like that, and this living room was grand and imposing—spacious, generous, with Chinese-style decor that flaunted its splendor and oppressiveness.

Some people were sitting on the sofa, others standing.

Some wore fur coats, others had polished leather shoes. Some flaunted pigeon-egg-sized diamonds. Some silently sipped premium tea.

A woman held her child, patting the boy's back with her well-maintained, bright red nails. A smile appeared on her beautiful face, her lips curving aggressively. "Cousin Yihua, what are you saying? You've lost your mind. Isn't my mother your aunt? Besides, who should I make way for? Your company has been suffering consecutive losses, and Grandpa is already very dissatisfied."

"This is your fourth aunt, host. She doesn't like you either."

Lou Han: "..."

This was the Lou family. Every member was scheming to devour their own relatives along with their assets.

Lou Han could see it. The Lou family was locked in endless strife, with constant undercurrents of conflict.

And his third uncle and fourth aunt were the prime representatives of this.

Everyone else was happy to watch the drama, not intervening but savoring the scene from the sidelines.

At this moment, it was best for Lou Han to continue being invisible.

It was actually quite good; he could get a read on everyone's personalities from the sidelines.

"You... you, Lou Yun." The man sat sprawled with his legs crossed. He glanced at the others who were watching the fight from a safe distance and swore again, "I'm not wasting another word on you! Keep dreaming with your twisted ideas."

"Cousin Yihua, you're still the same," the woman shot back, satisfied. She handed the child to a maid waiting nearby and gave a slight smile, not intending to let him off. "You never think before you speak..."

Lou Yihua took a drag and exhaled, his wandering eyes accidentally landing on Lou Han, who had just come downstairs.

"Fuck!" he swore sharply, sitting bolt upright in his chair.

"What are you doing..." Lou Yun's words trailed off, momentarily startled by his reaction.

Everyone else in the room was also caught off guard by Lou Yihua's outburst.

Following his gaze, everyone's eyes landed on Lou Han.

"..."

Lou Han's attempt at invisibility had failed.

Lou Han's gaze froze for a moment.

Under everyone's stare, anyone with less courage would have been scared out of their wits by this imposing crowd.

However, Lou Han stood calmly under their collective gaze.

But inside, he was frantically wondering why.

Wasn't he supposed to be a total nobody in the family?

Fortunately, after just a moment, everyone looked away.

His fox-like fourth aunt suddenly looked at the clock and murmured to herself, "It's almost time. He should be arriving."

People began chatting in twos and threes again, but the living room was no longer as lively as before. Everyone whispered in low voices.

Lou Han initially thought it was because of him.

Later, from the snippets of conversation around him, he realized they were waiting for someone.

Slowly, it grew quieter and quieter until finally, someone came through the front door.

Everyone fell silent.

For some reason, Lou Han's heart skipped a beat.

Everyone swarmed over. There were too many people, and Lou Han, from where he stood, couldn't see the scene.

With all this commotion, Lou Han paused. Was it some big shot?

Even though Lou Han was new here, he could tell that person was the center of the room.

He took a step forward. The previously domineering Lou Yihua and Lou Yun were now standing at a distance, along with a group of people their age, with ingratiating smiles plastered on their faces, clearly trying to curry favor with the newcomer.

That person was surrounded by a thick crowd, so Lou Han couldn't see his face.

With such a formidable person here, how was he supposed to seize the assets and revive the family?

"Wait, this isn't right. Who is that?" Lou Han asked the system.

The system replied, "He is... your cousin."

"Host... he's actually very fond of you."

Author's Note:

----------------------

Please bookmark my new novel! It starts Jan 11th: I Became the Emperor's Lackey. Also known as "Relying on the Future Emperor's Wife's Influence, I Rose to the Peak." Career-driven straight male lead × obsessive, yandere love interest.

["How about I help you become emperor?"

From then on, my hands will be your hands, your sins will be my sins. With my hands, I will raise you to the throne."

Zheng Du had always loved power.

But one day, after achieving success, he suddenly transmigrated to a backward ancient world as a commoner.

The worst possible start.

But Zheng Du had nothing else—except an intense desire to rise above others.

He immediately began his climb to the top.

After a long and arduous period of hard work, he finally passed the examination to become a scholar. Even though he knew the officialdom was corrupt and positions had to be bought.

Undaunted, he still sold goods by the river every night to earn money.

Until he encountered someone who was! Jumping! Into! The! River!

With the last shred of kindness in his heart, Zheng Du saved this person on the spot.

But the rescued man lay on the bank, dripping wet and decked out in gold and silver; he was clearly someone of exceptional nobility. Yet he gave Zheng Du a dark, gloomy look, demanding to know what kind of thing he was and why he’d stopped him from killing himself.

*Zheng Du: ...*

But when he was finally in a position to "bribe" a certain minister to secure an official post for himself,

he saw that the person sitting on the high platform in the minister's residence was the very same man he had saved.

The minister, bowing and scraping with fear and reverence, addressed that person as: "Your Highness."

*Zheng Du: ?*

Although his title was "Prince," he was the last remaining bloodline of the imperial family, the heir apparent, hailed as the Pearl of Daqian.

His Highness not only possessed noble blood but was also accomplished in both civil and military affairs, bearing the striking temperament of the dynasty's founder. He had been doted on since childhood—given the moon if he asked for it, never denied even the stars.

But he had a peculiar illness: despite living in luxury every day, he found life meaningless and simply wanted to die.

At that time, Zheng Du had saved the Prince during his nth attempt at suicide.

*Zheng Du: ...He's insane.*

The Prince glowered at him, demanding to know why he wasn't bowing.

In short, Zheng Du had hit the jackpot by catching a noble's eye.

Leveraging the noble's patronage, Zheng Du quickly gained great power.

He became a powerful minister of the age.

Although it seemed the noble was gay and had taken a liking to him, that wasn't important.

------

However, Zheng Du soon felt something was off because he discovered this was a novel!!! The Prince was the villain, about to fall from power?!

His vision went dark. As a member of the Prince's faction, he was as good as dead.

Zheng Du stayed up all night piecing together the novel's plot; it turned out the Prince's bloodline was illegitimate, and he was about to be overthrown by the protagonist, a prince living in exile.

The ending was that the Prince, who already harbored a death wish, was miserably killed by the new emperor.

*Zheng Du, now at the peak of his power, could only think: ...*

Seeing the Prince worn down by chronic illness, gaunt and frail,

Zheng Du, for the first time, began to fuss excessively over his superior.

On the first day, he prepared soup.

On the second day, he sent ginseng.

On the third day... he added a personal massage.

Throughout the residence, it was rumored that the ever-rational and ruthless Chief Minister had lost his mind, all over caring for the Prince's daily life. He was even... acting like a succubus toward the Prince.

One night.

On the Prince's bed, Zheng Du held a lamp, illuminating Xie Yunling's body, scarred from suicide attempts.

Zheng Du kissed his lips, caressed his body, and whispered coaxingly: "Do you want to be with me for a lifetime? If you do, promise me you won't die, okay?"

Xie Yunling frowned, glaring at him fiercely.

Zheng Du's expression remained unchanged: "I know why you want to die."

"What if I make you emperor?"

From then on, my hands will be your hands, your sins will be my sins. With my hands, I will support you as emperor.

—At first, Zheng Du only wanted to leave a profound mark on this world. Later, he found himself in love with someone, and he wanted that person to have a life etched in history in bold, indelible strokes.