Chapter 1: He’s Turned Into a Baby
Gu Tang stared at his own hands in disbelief.
Although he had been bedridden with illness for many years, he was still 180 cm tall, so naturally his hands were not small. But now… when clenched into a fist, they were not even as big as an egg. White and tender, plump and soft, with four little dimples on the back of the hand.
The ten slender fingers that could once play beautiful piano music and paint fine pictures had now become short and chubby, like little lotus roots.
Gu Tang blinked blankly, raised his head, and looked at his own reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window.
Round eyes. A round chubby face. A standard three-head-tall toddler body. At most he couldn’t be older than one and a half years old. The goose-yellow romper he wore set off his milky white skin, making him look like a freshly steamed custard bun.
What was going on?
How had he turned into a child?
While Gu Tang was still unable to figure it out, a voice sounded inside his mind—
[Congratulations, you have been selected as a transmigrator. Welcome to the novel world of “Qinian’s Glory.”]
Hmm?
Gu Tang actually knew this novel.
He had been reading it recently. Unfortunately, he died from illness before finishing it. Although he didn’t know the ending, he roughly understood the plot.
The story tells about the rich young master Gu Qinian, whose identity was swapped in childhood. After growing up, he relied on his own ability to successfully rise up, reach the peak of life, and ruthlessly slap the faces of his enemies—as well as that fake young master who stole half of his life…
Wait a moment!
Gu Tang suddenly became alert.
“Who did I transmigrate into?”
[Because you share the same name, you have transmigrated into a very important character—the cannon-fodder villain fake young master!]
[Since childhood you occupied the male lead’s identity as the rich family’s young master, living a life of extreme luxury, only knowing how to eat, drink, and play—a typical spoiled playboy. After growing up, you repeatedly danced on the male lead’s minefield, and in the end the male lead… uh, host, where are you going?]
Run!
Of course he was going to run!
Run without stopping! Run day and night!
This kind of cannon-fodder fake young master job—harmful to virtue, thankless, and ending in being pressed to death—whoever wants to do it can do it. Anyway, he absolutely won’t.
Gu Tang used both hands and feet, crawling toward the outside.
He had also tried to stand up, but with those short little legs he was far too clumsy. When he tried to run he staggered and stumbled; crawling on all fours was still faster.
But for some reason, with every step he crawled, he felt his breathing grow a little more difficult, and the coordination between his hands and feet became worse and worse…
One minute later, Gu Tang collapsed sideways onto the carpet, panting heavily.
So this is the stamina of a toddler?
Too weak!
[Friendly reminder: Any attempt to escape your identity or refuse to complete plot missions will cause your life points to decrease.]
“Why didn’t you say that earlier?”
Gu Tang was furious. He suspected this dog-like system had deliberately waited until he crawled himself exhausted before speaking.
The system did not respond again. Instead, a red life bar appeared. The starting value was 10. As soon as Gu Tang tried to escape, the bar slowly ticked down—1, 1, 1…
As the value decreased, the discomfort in his body became more and more obvious.
Gu Tang covered his chest with his little short hand.
He was far too familiar with this feeling. In his previous life, every time he felt something similar, he would end up needing emergency treatment. The last time, he couldn’t be saved and simply kicked the bucket.
One could easily imagine what would happen if this life bar dropped to zero…
Gu Tang swallowed.
“I’ll do it.”
If he refused, the system would just grab someone else to complete the plot anyway. Then this life he had picked up for free would simply be wasted.
[Then next, issuing the beginner mission to the host: ruthlessly bully the male lead during his childhood and leave him with an indelible scar.]
So brutal?
Are you sure this is suitable for beginners?
The cruel mission made Gu Tang’s chubby baby-bun face tremble slightly. In his heart he thought, bullying a child like this in the plot is seriously perverted. How did this even pass review?!
[Completion of the mission will grant 20 life points. Additional reward: Human Infant Language System.]
“But I can already talk, can’t I?”
Gu Tang opened his mouth, yet all that came out was soft baby babbling: “Yi-yi ah-ah.”
Only now did he realize that this tiny body of his was not only weak in stamina—his language system had not even developed yet. He could only communicate with the system inside his head.
Gu Tang asked, “What happens if the mission fails? Will I never be able to speak in this life?”
[Host should have confidence.]
Gu Tang: “…”
It seemed this perverted mission had to be completed. Otherwise he would either die on the spot, or spend his whole life only able to say “Ah ah ah.”
But completing the mission was one thing.
How to complete it—that was still up to him.
Gu Tang rolled his eyes and pretended to be enthusiastic. “Alright then. Where is Gu Qinian?”
[When the host woke up, the male lead was sleeping right beside you.]
“……”
Still the same sentence—
Why. Didn’t. You. Say. Sooner?!
Gu Tang looked down at his short little hands and feet, then glanced back at the path he had crawled, as if seeing the endless Long March stretching ten thousand miles.
…He would probably die on the road before even seeing the male lead.
“Why are you lying at the doorway?”
Suddenly, above his head came the voice of a teenage boy in the midst of voice change.
Before Gu Tang could even raise his head, his body suddenly lost weight—someone had grabbed the back of his clothes and lifted him up!
Gu Tang: !!!
From his angle he could only see the other person’s long legs, and the flashy punk leather boots moving quickly beneath them.
Put me down!
Gu Tang kicked his legs unhappily.
“Stop moving. If you fall you’ll turn into a little meat pancake!”
The other person tightened his grip on the toddler’s clothes while slowing his walking speed, muttering as he went, “…With legs this short, how did you even crawl out?”
Gu Tang: Do you have any manners?
After a short ride in this “hover car,” Gu Tang was placed back inside a baby safety playpen.
Holding onto the railing with both hands, he looked up and met the gaze of a teenager with dyed white hair and a skull earring.
The boy’s outfit was extremely flamboyant, but the most eye-catching thing was still his face—sharp features, outstanding looks, especially those brows and eyes that seemed almost drawn by hand, like a handsome character stepping straight out of a manga.
So eye-catching, yet not the protagonist…
Who is this?
Gu Tang blinked his big round eyes as he looked at him.
The teenager tilted his head, wearing a cool and indifferent expression, though there was clearly a hint of expectation in his tone.
“Come on. Call me Uncle.”
Gu Tang: ?
Did he mistake him for Gu Qinian?
Gu Qinian’s uncle… wasn’t that the Gu family’s second-generation rich playboy, Gu Lin?
Gu Lin and Gu Qinian’s father were brothers, but not born from the same mother. Their age gap was also quite large. When Gu Qinian’s father became the head of the Gu family, Gu Lin was still in his edgy teenage phase.
In the novel it was written that Gu Qinian resembled this uncle the most in appearance—though he far surpassed him.
Gu Tang felt a bit excited.
He was a face-con. He couldn’t help thinking: If the uncle is already this good-looking, just how stunning will little Gu Qinian be when he grows up?
So curious! Want to see!!!
But since he hadn’t met little Gu Qinian yet, Gu Tang calmly stared at the uncle first to satisfy his eyes.
Gu Lin waited for a while but the toddler still didn’t call him. The little fellow just stared blankly at his face, even swallowing a bit of drool.
“…Hungry?”
Gu Lin clicked his tongue in apparent disgust. “Tsk. I shouldn’t expect a little brat like you to know how to call someone. You’re hungry and can’t even say it.”
Even though he said that, the next moment he reached into the pocket of his clothing—which was covered in metal accessories. Amid a series of clinking sounds—
He took out a cheese stick.
Gu Tang didn’t react much.
He was already an adult. There was no way he’d be easily conquered by a mere cheese stick.
Gu Lin waved the cheese stick in front of the toddler. His expression looked a bit stiff.
“You… don’t like it? Hmph. I didn’t even buy this for you in the first place. Eat it or not, your choice.”
“……”
Gu Tang had already seen the small print on the packaging:
Infant nutrition cheese stick. Rich in protein and calcium. Delicious and healthy. Suitable for babies around one year old for teething.
If it wasn’t specially bought to coax his little nephew, could it be that Gu Lin intended to eat it himself?
Gu Tang saw through it but didn’t expose him. Very cooperatively, he stretched out his tiny hand. “Ah!” Want!
“Hmph, at least you’ve got good taste.” Gu Lin’s expression immediately brightened. He even thoughtfully peeled off the wrapper of the cheese stick for the toddler. “Eat, eat. Eat more and grow up fast. Once you get smarter, you’ll know how to call me Uncle.”
The cheese stick was stuffed into his mouth, and a rich milky fragrance spread instantly.
This taste was unexpectedly addictive.
No toddler could possibly resist it!
Gu Tang’s eyes lit up as he entered full immersion mode, gnawing on the cheese stick.
Crunch, crunch.
As he kept eating, a “ding” suddenly sounded in his mind.
[Congratulations to the host for achieving the hidden accomplishment: “Consume the young male lead’s snack.” Life points +3!]
Huh?
There were hidden achievements too?
Following that logic, he wouldn’t need to do those evil plot missions at all. As long as he ate more of little Gu Qinian’s snacks, he could max out his life points!
[Friendly reminder: Achievement rewards cannot be obtained repeatedly.]
Gu Tang: “…” Where exactly was the “friendly” part of those cold words?!
Angry, he fiercely took two more bites of the cheese stick.
Gu Lin had not expected the toddler in front of him to be so unpicky with food. The way he ate was also incredibly obedient—holding the snack with both hands, the soft cheek meat on both sides of his face trembling slightly as he chewed, like a little hamster seriously concentrating on its food.
Wasn’t he supposed to have autism?
He looked quite easy to coax, actually. Very well-behaved.
Gu Lin deliberately removed the studded glove that gave off a strong heavy-metal vibe before reaching out to pat the toddler’s little head. While the little guy was busy eating, he continued indoctrinating him.
“I’m your uncle. Remember that, okay?”
Gu Tang’s head bobbed up and down under the patting. “……”
Did this count as a forcibly purchased uncle?
Still, Gu Lin seemed like a decent person. Gu Tang glanced at the studded glove tossed aside. Earlier he had carried him over by the back of his clothes, probably because he was worried the sharp metal on the glove might scratch the toddler’s delicate skin.
Gu Tang curved his eyes and gave him a friendly smile.
He had no idea how irresistibly cute his little bun-like face looked when smiling. Those watery round eyes curved into two tiny crescents, and two faint dimples appeared on his chubby cheeks. It was indescribably sweet.
Gu Lin stared for a moment.
Were toddlers all… this cute?
He couldn’t help curling his lips upward and reached out, intending to pinch the toddler’s little cheek.
“Second Young Master, what are you doing?!”
Wang Sue, the nanny specifically responsible for taking care of Gu Qinian, rushed into the nursery and saw Gu Lin teasing the child. She hurried forward anxiously.
“Young Master’s autism symptoms are very serious. He’s never met you before. What if he gets frightened?”
“I think he’s fine.” Gu Lin didn’t feel the toddler had any problem.
“Aiya, please don’t make things difficult for me. If anything happens to the young master, how could I explain it to Sir…”
The nanny brought up Gu Lin’s half-brother.
The relationship between the two brothers was delicate. Gu Lin had some scruples. After hesitating for a moment, he withdrew his hand.
“Then watch the child carefully. Don’t let him crawl out again. The floor is cold.”
“Yes, yes, please rest assured.”
Wang Sue’s face had been full of respect and obedience just moments ago, but as soon as Gu Lin left, her expression changed faster than flipping a book. She turned around and shot Gu Tang a warning glare.
“Behave yourself. If you ruin my plans, I’ll beat you to death.”
Gu Tang’s eyes widened.
He wasn’t frightened—he simply remembered the plot.
—This was the evil nanny who carried away the young Gu Qinian!
The Gu family had an illustrious background. Gu Qinian’s parents were both extremely busy—one was the head of the family, the other a movie queen-level actress. After having a child, they left the baby to the nanny’s care and rarely had time to come home.
That gave Wang Sue the chance to secretly swap the children.
She herself could not bear children, so she secretly bought a baby from somewhere. But that child was frail, and she was afraid it wouldn’t survive, so she came up with the idea of switching the prince with a civet cat.
However, Gu Qinian was far too good-looking. Wang Sue’s husband simply refused to believe the child was his. Suspecting she had cheated on him, he forced her to tell the truth. Her husband refused to raise another man’s child, yet Wang Sue didn’t dare return the baby to the Gu family. In the end, she simply abandoned Gu Qinian.
Thus the rightful young master of a wealthy family ended up drifting into an orphanage. As a child, Gu Qinian suffered no shortage of bullying and abuse.
How pitiful…
Gu Tang began to sympathize with the male lead he had not even met yet.
Click.
The sound of a lock snapping shut rang out.
Gu Tang came back to his senses and realized that after locking him inside the baby playpen, the nanny had disappeared somewhere again.
Since this fake young master—himself—had already been brought to the Gu residence to take the position, it meant the nanny was about to carry out the child swap. The problem was that he still couldn’t see any trace of little Master Gu.
The system clearly said the male lead was here…
Where exactly had Wang Sue hidden little Gu Qinian?
Grabbing the railings with his small hands, Gu Tang widened his eyes and searched everywhere. His gaze eventually fell on a pile of plush toys stacked in the corner.
Among them was a small teddy bear, pressed beneath the other toys, with only its short round tail sticking out.
But if he hadn’t seen wrong, that short tail had just moved slightly.
Gu Tang blinked.
…Gu Qinian?
Author’s Note:
Gu Qinian: Can you tell the story again about how you picked me out from a pile of plush toys?
Tang Tang: Because you were short.
Gu Qinian: ???
