003
Su Ximu locked the bathroom door behind him and had already been sitting on the toilet lid, staring at his phone for a good while.
He did not dare go out right now.
Because there was a man outside who claimed to be his third brother, waiting for him.
The youth on the toilet lid looked at the phone in his hand.
In his panic, he had grabbed it from under ‘his’ pillow and slipped into the bathroom.
It was a model of phone he had never seen before—silver-white, with a hefty weight that screamed expensive.
Yet the very next second after he lit up the screen, he unlocked it successfully.
The screen that lit up displayed a world map he had just searched for.
A circular one that extended infinitely outward—a world map he had never seen before.
Su Ximu stared at this world map and began to ponder how all of this had happened.
An hour earlier, he had woken up right on time at seven-thirty as usual, but the instant he opened his eyes, he discovered a stranger sitting at the edge of his bed.
The moment he woke, that figure leaned in with a face full of concern, fussing over him solicitously.
When he sat up in a bit of a panic, the other handed him a cup of perfectly tempered honey water, urging him to drink it while complaining that he had not even told the family, just snuck off with friends to a bar to drink until he was dead drunk before coming home.
Su Ximu, who had been handed the cup of honey water, almost thought he was still dreaming.
To verify, he pinched his thigh hard with his other hand hidden under the blanket.
It hurt.
Probably not a dream.
But at that moment, Su Ximu felt he was facing something more terrifying than a nightmare.
After giving him over half an hour to calm down, the man outside the bathroom knocked on the door.
Su Ximu snapped out of his thoughts at the sound, looked up, stood, and instinctively took a small step back.
The man knocking outside seemed to see the youth inside through the frosted glass door—like a startled little beast, with wide eyes, pursed lips, and a guarded expression.
The man’s lips curved into a smile of delight as he continued to knock-knock-knock.
There was a hard-to-detect note of pleasure in his tone. “Xiao Mu, Third Brother knows you’re scared Big Brother will be mad. Don’t hide in there. Third Brother promises to stay home with you all day, okay? If Big Brother really gets angry, I’ll put in a good word for you.”
“But putting in a good word is one thing—not that Third Brother’s blaming you, but sneaking off to the bar without telling us was really not right this time. I’ve told you so many times, there are lots of bad people outside, all those kids trying to lead you astray.”
“Xiao Mu?”
“If you don’t open up, Third Brother will use the key himself.”
The last sentence had an upturned lilt, like a vicious beast toying with a weak little prey in hide-and-seek.
As soon as the words fell, the bathroom door handle turned halfway. Su Ximu, who had been hiding inside without coming out, finally opened the door.
The youth opened his mouth, trying for one last struggle.
He wanted to say no more jokes, that this one wasn’t funny.
He wanted to say he remembered clearly—he had grown up with only his grandma, no big brother, second brother, or third brother.
But all those words got stuck in his throat the next second, when the man claiming to be his third brother reached out and touched his arm.
In that instant, it was like he watched a movie from a bystander’s perspective—a rapid rundown of all the experiences of a nineteen-year-old youth from childhood to now.
Every scene was crystal clear.
So clear that Su Ximu felt this might not be a movie at all, but the memories of the past nineteen years from the owner of this body, also named ‘Su Ximu.’
In these ‘memories,’ the figure of the man before him appeared most frequently.
This man was called Su Jianglou, ‘Su Ximu’s’ third brother.
‘Su Ximu’ had two other brothers as well. Big Brother was Su Xuanxiao, and Second Brother was Su Wuzi.
Big Brother Su Xuanxiao was thirty this year and ran a large company. The four brothers had lost both parents young; Big Brother had gone out early to make money and support the family, acting as father and mother. Big Brother held the greatest authority at home.
Second Brother Su Wuzi was twenty-six and worked in entertainment. He had a very good temper.
Third Brother Su Jianglou was twenty-three and had the closest relationship with ‘Su Ximu.’ He currently worked as a tour guide. Third Brother loved his job—best not to disturb him at work, or he would get mad.
Besides Big Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother, there was also the family’s nanny Aunt Zhao, butler Uncle Li, and the neighbor Ox Grandpa…
These people felt overly familiar, just like the novel he had read right before bed last night.
And fittingly, the novel titled Evil Charm Mad Arrogant, Overbearing Brother Indulgent Pet had a protagonist named Su Ximu.
That was why he had not finished reading it.
It had felt a bit embarrassing.
Su Ximu could not help but look up, seriously taking in the man’s appearance for the first time.
Last night before bed, he had even discussed the novel’s cover with Wu Yang.
The cover featured three men of distinct styles—the three brothers of the novel’s protagonist ‘Su Ximu.’
Big Brother Su Xuanxiao had the look of a stern, cold CEO who was clearly rich and powerful.
Second Brother Su Wuzi—Su Ximu suspected the artist charged the most for his character design. It was a beauty that transcended gender, striking at first sight.
Third Brother Su Jianglou had the darkest skin of the three designs, especially contrasted with Second Brother beside him. Paired with the sleek, powerful muscle lines from his short sleeves and his sharp brows and eyes, Su Ximu’s first thought upon seeing it had been a documentary he watched before called Animal World, featuring a sleek African black panther.
Now, that black panther’s image gradually overlapped with the man before him.
In a daze, Su Ximu realized it was not that someone was pranking him.
No—he had really transmigrated into the book.
Seeing Su Ximu in a daze, Su Jianglou acted just like the world’s most perfect big brother, caringly making excuses for him. “Feeling dizzy again?”
With that, he led him back to the bed and gestured for him to lie down.
Su Ximu had not wanted to lie down—too much had happened today, and he still had a lot to sort out in his head.
But when ‘Third Brother’ firmly pressed him back onto the bed and tucked him in, Su Ximu’s sleepiness surged uncontrollably.
Less than two minutes later, he had fallen soundly asleep again.
At the bedside, Su Jianglou leaned down close to the now sweetly sleeping youth, his expression full of delight. He even started humming a tune.
He reached out to tuck the sleeping ‘little brother’ in again, then stretched past Su Ximu to pick up a sheet of white paper from the headboard that the youth had never noticed from start to finish.
On the paper was the family rules he had prepared for his ‘little brother.’
【Welcome Xiao Mu back to our new home. Your most loving Third Brother, worried you’ve been away from home too long, prepared this little gift to help you quickly fit into the family. Please strictly follow them.
1: Big Brother is a very strict person. When Big Brother is home, you need to come home early.
2: Second Brother has a very good temper. Second Brother is trustworthy. When going out to play, you can go to Second Brother.
3: Third Brother doesn’t like being disturbed when working.
4: When Big Brother is angry, you can go hide at neighbor Ox Grandpa’s house next door.
5: Please get up on time at eight-thirty for breakfast, eleven-forty for lunch, and six o’clock for dinner. Those are meals Aunt Zhao makes with care for the family. If family members don’t arrive on time, she will be sad.
6: Uncle Li is a very competent butler. Go to Uncle Li for more family notices.】
Su Jianglou chuckled mockingly and tossed the paper aside. It fluttered right under the bed, revealing the seventh rule on the back.
【7: Xiao Xi is exempt.】
His new little brother Xiao Mu seemed great. He had not done anything special, but every move made him so likable, so happy.
So, he decided to let Xiao Mu stay in this home a bit longer.
Thus, it was best not to let Xiao Mu meet Second Brother too soon.
Big Brother…
The moment Su Jianglou thought of Big Brother, his expression changed.
He glanced once more at the youth on the bed and turned to leave the bedroom.
The next moment, the villa’s chandelier began flickering like it was short-circuiting.
Bang! A heavy thud smashed against Su Ximu’s bedroom door.
Dark red liquid seeped through the door crack into the bedroom, soaking into the dark carpet.
Su Ximu, who had not wanted to sleep much anyway, was smoothly jolted awake by the noise.
The youth sat up hugging his blanket and spent two minutes rebooting his brain, recalling that he had transmigrated into the book.
Immediately after came another furious roar.
Su Ximu uncomfortably covered his ears, unable to tell that this was not a sound a normal person could make—like a roar that could pollute one’s mind.
Bang bang bang—the sounds rang out continuously outside.
Through the door, Su Ximu heard a familiar muffled grunt.
It was ‘Third Brother’s’ voice, sounding pained.
He did not yet accept the protagonist ‘Su Ximu’s’ identity—he just felt like an interloper usurping another’s nest.
But thinking of Third Brother Su Jianglou’s kindness today—even if not truly for him—Su Ximu still mustered his courage. He got out of bed, slipped on his slippers, and quietly pushed open the bedroom door a crack.
The narrow gap was not enough to see what was happening outside clearly, but the sounds came through more distinctly now.
Bang!
Another one.
This time, Su Ximu vaguely confirmed what it was.
The sound of Third Brother’s body being smashed against the wall!
He heard Third Brother say, “Had enough, Big Brother? It was wrong of me not to notify you, but who asked you not to agree?”
Big Brother’s response was slamming Third Brother’s head to the ground again, hand pressing down.
It should have been a hand—too far to see clearly.
The youth who had quietly cracked open the door was so scared he squatted down, hugging himself tightly, and frantically tried to recall: Did the novel say Su Ximu’s big brother Su Xuanxiao was some kind of super alpha?
Also, what was the emergency number here?
Third Brother getting beaten like this by Big Brother—was it just for putting in a good word for him?
Would Big Brother come beat him after finishing with Third Brother?
