BYBOTE Chapter 1: Time Travel

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"Open the door! Let me out!"

"If you don’t let me out, I swear I’ll pee on the firewood stack!" Luo Fei stood with his hands on his hips and kicked the door of the woodshed, making a loud bang.

"Second Brother, you might as well save your energy." A slightly helpless yet youthful voice came from outside. "Father already said that no matter what, we can’t let you out today. Just bear with it in there. If you really can’t hold it, just pee on the ground—it’s our own woodshed, nobody will care."

"What the hell?! Just because Zhang Yangfan is getting married? So what if I go out? It’s not like I’m going to eat him!" Luo Fei raged.

"You said the same thing yesterday, but the moment I let you out, you ran off to jump into the river!"

"J-Jump what?"

"Jump into the river." Luo Yi’s tone was firm, as if saying don’t even try playing dumb. "Second Brother, seriously, why do you even care about Zhang Yangfan? He’s already marrying someone else, so why are you still thinking about him?"

"Pah! Who’s thinking about him?!"

"Isn’t it you—fine, fine, I won’t argue with you. Anyway, Father said that after Zhang Yangfan finishes his wedding today, he’ll definitely let you out."

"…Alright! Let Zhang Yangfan finish his wedding, huh?" Luo Fei pounded his chest a few times and cursed in his heart: Zhang Yangfan, screw you! You better pray I never run into you again!

Just thinking about this "Zhang Yangfan" filled Luo Fei with rage. Because of that man, he was now trapped and unable to move freely.

Zhang Yangfan, male, twenty years old, the only scholar in Huaping Village. Decent-looking. He was also Luo Fei’s ex. No, correction—it was "Luo Fei’s" ex, not "Luo Fei" himself.

The original Luo Fei was already dead. He had drowned himself in despair after Zhang Yangfan abandoned him. But now, the person trapped in this body was Luo Fei, a modern-day university student from the 21st century who had somehow transmigrated into the past—right into the body of the recently rescued and barely surviving Luo Fei.

Long story short: the one who jumped into the river was the original Luo Fei. The one who loved Zhang Yangfan was also the original Luo Fei. But the one who had to deal with all the consequences—well, that was him now.

To make matters worse, the Luo family, afraid he’d try to kill himself again, had locked him in the woodshed for an entire night.

At first, Luo Fei had been focused on figuring out how to return to his own time, but now, he no longer had the luxury to think about such unrealistic things. Right now, his only goal was to get out. He had told them a hundred times that he had no intention of dying again, but the Luo family just wouldn’t believe him.

Hearing no sound from inside, Luo Yi assumed his second brother had finally calmed down. He grabbed a ladle and began scooping water from a bucket.

Luo Fei, already feeling the urge to relieve himself, nearly bent over when he heard the splashing sound of water. Looking through the gap in the door, he saw Luo Yi about to leave with a full bucket of water.

Thinking quickly, he shouted, "Luo Yi, wait!"

"What is it, Second Brother?" Luo Yi jumped in surprise.

"Are you really not letting me out?"

"Of course not! Father said if anyone dares to let you out, he’ll break their legs." Just thinking about their father’s thunderous rage made Luo Yi shudder.

"Alright then. Go tell Father and Mother that I’m unfilial and won’t be able to serve them anymore." Since they refused to believe he’d given up on dying, Luo Fei decided to pretend he hadn’t given up! He clenched his fist and slammed it hard against the doorframe with a loud thud, then let himself go limp and collapsed onto the ground.

As a top-performing acting student at his film academy, pulling off something like this was child’s play.

"Second—Second Brother?!" Luo Yi panicked at the unexpected silence. He stretched his neck to look inside, but the woodshed was built with mud and straw, with only one door and no windows. To prevent Luo Fei from escaping, they had even blocked the door with a giant water jar. Standing outside, Luo Yi couldn’t see what was happening inside, but something felt very wrong.

"Second Brother, don’t scare me!" Luo Yi’s voice trembled. "Second Brother? Second Brother!"

"Father! Mother!" At first, Luo Yi thought his brother might be faking, but then he remembered his previous suicide attempt. That thought shattered his composure. He tossed the ladle aside and sprinted toward the vegetable garden. "Father! Mother! Second Brother’s trying to kill himself again!!!"

Luo Fei lay motionless on the ground, rolling his eyes internally. But soon, he heard hurried and frantic footsteps approaching.

"Erbao! Erbao, don’t scare your mother!" Their mother, Li Yuehua, came running and helped her youngest son push aside the large water jar. Her hands were shaking so badly she could barely hold the key.

"Mother, quick! Give me the key!" Luo Yi took the key and swiftly unlocked the door. Seeing his second brother lying limp on the ground, he didn’t even stop to question why there weren’t any visible injuries. He rushed forward and propped him up. "Second Brother! Second Brother?!"

"Erbao, wake up, Erbao!" Li Yuehua shook him twice, growing more and more anxious.

Luo Fei figured it was about time to "regain consciousness." Just as he was about to slowly open his eyes, Luo Yi suddenly declared, "Mother, this won’t do! Let me handle it!"

Wait—handle what? Luo Fei wondered—then suddenly—

SLAP!

"Ah!" Luo Fei’s eyes snapped open, blazing with fury. You little brat, did you just slap me?!

"Mother, he’s awake!" Luo Yi beamed with pride, convinced that he had saved the day. "Second Brother, are you okay? Second Brother?"

“No, no problem, just a little dizzy.” Not until you freaking knocked me dizzy!

“Si Bao, quick, help me carry your second brother back to his room with me. The ground is cold, it’s not good to lie here.” Li Yuehua helped Luo Fei up and, together with her youngest son, carried him inside.

Luo Fei tried his best to shift his body weight onto Li Yuehua and Luo Yi while discreetly observing his surroundings. If he had still held any hope of returning to his original world before being let out of the woodshed, now that hope was completely shattered. The neatly arranged courtyard had a corner for raising chickens and ducks, and there was a small mud house that he hadn’t gotten a clear look at when he was brought back from the riverbank. In front of the house was an old-fashioned stone mill, exuding a strong sense of history.

Everything around him confirmed one thing—this was not a dream. He could never go back.

“Mom, will Dad be mad if we let Second Brother out?” Luo Yi asked Li Yuehua.

“If he gets mad, I’ll be mad too!” A moment ago, Li Yuehua was full of distress, but now she wore a fierce expression. “It’s not like we don’t have room in the house. Why lock him up in the woodshed? Not worried about freezing your second brother at night?” She carefully helped Luo Fei onto the heated brick bed. “Er Bao, don’t worry. I’ll talk to your father. But you have to promise me, don’t do anything foolish again, understand? That Zhang Yangfan is just a scoundrel! We don’t want him! We’ll find someone better in the future!”

“…Got it, Mom.” Luo Fei stiffly responded, instinctively curling up his legs. A foreign environment always made people feel insecure… No, wait—he just really needed to pee.

“I’m going to the—to the latrine.” Luo Fei said.

“I’ll go with you, Second Brother.” Luo Yi quickly reached out to support him. Luo Fei didn’t refuse and followed Luo Yi out.

The Luo family’s latrine was built near the vegetable garden, just past a small path to the left of the house. From the outside, it looked decent, but the inside… well, that was another story. Luo Fei held back his discomfort, handled his business, and walked out, staring blankly at the barren vegetable garden.

Mainly, he was feeling lost. His current state was like that of a prisoner who had been locked up for years and was suddenly released—except he hadn’t spent “years” in confinement. Still, the feeling of being out of sync with society was similar.

Some people struggle to keep up with the times. He, on the other hand, was absurdly struggling to keep up with time going backward.

“Second Brother, you’re not still thinking about Zhang—”

“If you say those three words, believe it or not, I’ll punch you?!” Luo Fei cut Luo Yi off with a glare. “Never mention him again. Why keep the name of a scumbag on your lips? This matter is done and dusted!”

“Uh…” Wasn’t it you who kept bringing up that scumbag all the time? Luo Yi wanted to say that but thought better of it. Instead, he chuckled. “Alright, Second Brother, it’s great that you think this way. You’re the most handsome young man in our village. That Zhang—uh, that scumbag—was never worthy of you.”

“Really?” Luo Fei stroked his chin. “Now that you mention it, that does seem to be the case.”

He wasn’t just bragging—Luo Fei truly was good-looking. In his modern-day life, his appearance was slightly above average, but the original owner of this body, Luo Fei, was even more striking. Their facial features were similar, but Luo Fei was even more handsome, with fair skin and a well-proportioned figure. Oh, and—he could have children.

Since Luo Fei had absorbed the memories of this body, he now knew that he had transmigrated to a place called Yu Qing Kingdom. The people of Yu Qing Kingdom were divided into three genders: besides the usual male and female, there was also a third—known as the gers.

Gers appeared male on the surface, but they were generally smaller in stature and somewhat more delicate than regular men. They weren’t extremely common—about one or two in every ten people. Their most distinct feature was a plum blossom mark on their left hand, signifying their ability to conceive children.

Luo Fei was gay in his original world, so he wasn’t surprised by Luo Fei’s feelings for Zhang Yangfan. He also had no particular resistance to the concept of gers. But the fact that gers could give birth? That part was… seriously mind-boggling.

The only silver lining was that his own plum blossom mark was very faint, meaning he had an extremely low fertility rate. Apparently, Zhang Yangfan had abandoned Luo Fei partly for this reason. But for Luo Fei—now inhabiting this body—that was actually a good thing.

He rubbed the mark on his hand, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes. Just then, the sound of gongs and drums rang out from outside.

Huaping Village wasn’t big. If there was no wedding, you wouldn’t hear such a ruckus. And as far as Luo Fei knew, the only wedding happening in the village today was at the Zhang family’s house. At this hour, Zhang Yangfan was probably bringing his new bride home.

“Second Brother, maybe we should go help Mom in the vegetable garden?” Luo Yi suggested cautiously, worried that Luo Fei might get worked up again and do something drastic.

“Help? Help with what? Go bring me a basin and fill it with water.” Luo Fei rolled up his sleeves. “If Zhang Yangfan gets past our doorstep smoothly today, I swear I’ll change my surname!”

“Second—Second Brother, what are you planning?” Luo Yi was dumbfounded. Was this still his heartbroken, devastated second brother?!

“What am I planning? I’m planning to ruin Zhang Yangfan’s day!” Seeing Luo Yi frozen in place, Luo Fei grabbed a wooden basin himself. He filled it with water, grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground, mixed it in, and walked toward the entrance. Just before throwing it, he paused and turned back. “Is Dad home?”

“Yeah, he’s in the vegetable garden.” Luo Yi looked puzzled. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason!” Luo Fei didn’t hesitate this time—he raised the basin and splashed the filthy water straight at the wedding procession!

“Whoosh—”

“Ahhh—!”

“Pfft! Ugh, phooey!”

“Who the hell is so damn shameless?!” The musicians stopped playing, and the Zhang family members stormed toward the Luo family’s gate.

“Luo! What’s the meaning of this?!” Zhang Yangfan’s cousin, Zhang Sheng, glared at Luo Fei.

“What do you mean ‘what’s the meaning of this’?” Luo Fei set down the basin and glanced at Zhang Yangfan. “I’m pouring water in front of my own house. Do I need someone else’s permission for that?”

“You did that on purpose!” Zhang Yangfan fumed. Though he was guilty over what he had done to Luo Fei, he was furious that his wedding outfit had been ruined.

“Forget it, Yangfan.” Jiang Bai Ning said softly. “You rejected him, and he jumped into a river for you. Now, the whole village knows—who would want him anymore? If something happens to him, Auntie Luo will be heartbroken, and we don’t want to be blamed.”

“Pah! Spare me the hypocrisy!” Luo Fei’s anger surged.

“You—how ungrateful can you be?” Jiang Bai Ning glared at him.

“Ungrateful, my ass! And you, don’t get too smug! Zhang Yangfan is trash. In fact, I should thank you! If not for you snatching him away, I’d have never realized what a spineless coward he is! Now, scram!”

“Hah! You think you can just throw dirty water and get away with it?! Pay up!” Zhang Sheng demanded.

“Yeah, pay up!” Others chimed in.

“Pay what?! Think the Luo family is easy to bully?!” Li Yuehua stormed out, holding a hoe. “Er Bao, don’t be afraid! Mom’s got your back!”

“Oh? You wanna fight?” Zhang Sheng, already furious, clenched his fists. “Brothers, get them! Let’s see if they dare not pay up now!”

"I’d like to see who dares!" A deep, resonant voice suddenly echoed through the courtyard, followed by the sharp crack of a whip. Luo Tian, the head of the Luo family, strode out with a horsewhip in hand, his brows furrowed and eyes blazing with anger. "Zhang family, if you know what’s good for you, get the hell out of here! I’ve been holding back a bellyful of anger with nowhere to vent it—don’t you dare walk right into it!"

"It was clearly your Luo Fei who splashed the water first!"

"So what if he did? We were splashing water in front of our own house—what’s the problem with that?" Luo Tian, standing tall at six-foot-three, blocked the entrance like a temple guardian. "Do we need to ask for your permission?"

"Of course not," Zhang Sheng wanted to argue but hesitated, his face flushing red. Everyone in Huaping Village knew that Luo Tian had crawled out of a pile of dead bodies, exuding an air of menace. If he had known Luo Tian was home, he wouldn’t have dared to provoke him.

"Forget it, big cousin," Zhang Yangfan said, his expression sour. Ever since the whole village found out about Luo Fei jumping into the river because of him, he had been worried the Luo family would come looking for trouble. Now that things had escalated, this marriage was as good as ruined.

"My apologies, Uncle Luo. We’ll be leaving now." Zhang Yangfan’s face was dark as he spoke.

Jiang Baining nearly spat blood at the forced apology, but he dared not say a word.

Zhang Sheng swallowed his anger and called out, "Play the music! Let’s make it loud, boys!"

The wedding procession wobbled away. Luo Fei snorted, flicked his sleeve, and turned to go back inside.

Luo Tian watched the retreating wedding party, then turned to his second son. Taking a few strides forward, he grabbed Luo Fei by the collar and hoisted him up like a little chick. "Erbao, stand right there. I have a question for you."

"What is it, Dad?" Luo Fei turned his head with difficulty.

"Did you really splash that dirty water just now?" Luo Tian had seen the mud stains on Zhang Yangfan and Zhang Sheng’s clothes.

"Yeah, I did. Why?" Was there something wrong with that?

"Good job!" Luo Tian put him down, grinning as he dusted off Luo Fei’s clothes. "Remember this—if you get bullied, you fight back the same way, understand? Don’t be afraid, I’ve got your back! No one messes with us!"

"Got it, Dad." Luo Fei smiled, then suddenly winced. After a whole night in this new world, he hadn’t eaten well or slept properly. On top of that, the stress of not being able to return home was gnawing at him, and now—great, he had a mouthful of ulcers from the heat.

"Go on, then." Luo Tian patted his shoulder but stopped on the third slap, grabbing him again. "Wait."

"What now, Dad?" Could he have realized that Luo Fei wasn’t the same as the original one? His heart shot up into his throat.

"Xi family’s boy wrote a letter. He says he’ll be back in the next couple of days. Your mother and I talked it over—we’re planning for him to take you in as his spouse."

"Take me—take me as what?"

"As a spouse." Luo Tian raised an eyebrow. "You haven’t forgotten your childhood engagement with Xi Yu, have you?"

"I… Of course not. But wasn’t he already dead?" The whole village had said so, hadn’t they?

"He’s alive," Luo Tian said, clearly pleased. "Now we don’t have to worry about your marriage anymore. Xi Yu is a good kid. Even though we haven’t seen him in years, he takes after his father, so he can’t be bad."

"But I’m already sixteen…" Didn’t that mean he could opt out of the engagement? In the Yu Qing Kingdom, if both parties hadn’t confirmed the marriage by sixteen, the childhood betrothal could be annulled.

"No way!" Luo Tian’s face darkened instantly. "Unless that Xi kid turns out to be truly unsuitable, you are getting married! No more nonsense, understood?"

"Then that guy better not come back—Amitabha!" Luo Fei muttered.

"What are you mumbling?"

"Nothing!" Luo Fei grinned foolishly, but just then, a loud shout came from outside.

"Dad! Mom! Second Brother! Look! There’s smoke coming from the Xi family’s chimney!"

"What the—are you kidding me?!" Luo Fei’s mouth dropped open as he looked into the distance. Sure enough, after all these years of dormancy, smoke was rising from the Xi family’s long-quiet chimney.

Buddha, I just made that wish! And you’re slapping me in the face this fast?!

—

Tl Notes:

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