Late spring.
At ten o’clock in the evening, the bustling metropolis was ablaze with lights.
Pei Ran, dressed in a formal black suit, stepped out of the company’s main entrance and was greeted by a warm, gentle spring breeze.
His handsome face, with its perfectly shaped peach blossom eyes, narrowed slightly.
The familiar surroundings had already transformed into a new landscape, and it dawned on him that winter had passed without him even noticing.
“Manager Pei, congratulations on landing that big deal today! Since you’re getting off work so early, why not join us for a drink to celebrate?”
A man and a woman walking behind Pei Ran quickened their pace to catch up, positioning themselves on either side of him as if placing him in the “center stage.” They spoke to him with beaming smiles.
Pei Ran turned his head, wearing the professional expression typical of a “corporate worker.”
Expert, elite, and polite, yet maintaining an appropriate sense of distance as a superior.
It made people marvel at his striking appearance while not daring to underestimate him.
“Thank you, but not today. My brother asked to see me, so I’m heading over to check on him. Let’s plan for another day—my treat.”
Pei Ran smiled warmly and courteously, leaving no room for ill feelings—a testament to his reputation as a “smiling tiger.”
Everyone knew Pei Ran’s parents were divorced, and he never spoke about his family, except for his precious younger brother.
Only after his colleagues left did Pei Ran’s expression shift like the weather in June, changing in an instant.
Three million!
Three million!
Pei Ran calculated the balance of his savings after his upcoming salary and bonuses, and he couldn’t help but feel overjoyed.
All of it turned into an uncontrollable smile that spread across his lips.
After reveling in his happiness for a full half minute, Pei Ran finally returned to normal, his features settling back into their usual, meticulously trained positions.
He took out his phone, intending to call his younger brother, Pei An. Earlier, when Pei An had messaged him on WeChat, he had been too busy to reply.
Before he could dial, however, his phone rang first.
It was an unfamiliar number. Pei Ran hesitated for two seconds but answered anyway.
Although he had a premonition, considering there was a one percent chance it could be work-related, he couldn’t afford to miss it.
“Hello?”
“Xiao Ran, what’s going on? Why did you block me again? I’m your father, you ungrateful brat! Are you trying to abandon your old man? I raised you all these years, and now that you’re making money, shouldn’t you be supporting me? Look at your mother—has she cared about you since the divorce? She’s already had a second child; you’re clearly not on her mind…”
Before Pei Ran could hang up, his phone considerately shut down on its own.
He stared at the black screen for two seconds.
After pressing the buttons a couple of times with no response, he realized he had been so elated today that he had made the rare mistake of letting his phone run out of battery.
His car was still at the shop for maintenance, and he didn’t have a power bank with him.
Fortunately, he always carried a few hundred dollars in cash for emergencies. Without further hesitation, Pei Ran decided to take a taxi to his brother’s place.
On such a celebratory day, it would be a shame not to share a late-night meal with family.
He walked out of the commercial district and made his way to the roadside.
In the window of a nearby boutique, a mannequin with a perfect figure was dressed in trendy clothes, styled to look more human than most people.
Pei Ran paused briefly as he passed, his gaze lingering on the display.
Beautiful, but expensive.
He had savings, but he was reluctant to spend them.
The internal struggle in his mind hadn’t even begun before Pei Ran himself nipped it in the bud.
Just this one piece of clothing was enough to buy two more floor tiles for the house he was saving up for.
Better to save where he could. The suit he’d bought for work wasn’t cheap, and it could easily last another two years.
He took a taxi to the neighborhood where his younger brother lived. Naturally, this house wasn’t his home either.
Pei Ran and his younger brother Pei An weren’t born to the same mother. This house was left to Pei An by his own mother.
Walking into the familiar neighborhood, he went up to the fourth floor.
Pei Ran knocked on the door and waited for a while, but no one answered. He checked the time—at this hour, his night-owl brother definitely hadn’t gone to bed yet.
He knocked a few more times.
He could hear some movement inside, but the door remained closed. He had no idea what was going on.
He didn’t plan to call out Pei An’s name, afraid of disturbing the neighbors across the hall.
After waiting a little longer, the door finally opened.
In the middle of the night, before summer had even arrived, Pei An appeared before his older brother fully dressed.
It was clear he hadn’t gone to bed yet.
“What were you doing? Why did it take so long to open the door?”
Pei Ran stepped inside, only to be hit by the overpowering scent of mosquito repellent, so strong it made him take two steps back.
“Wait, wait!”
Pei An hurriedly reached out and pulled the person who had just entered back outside, wearing a smile that was both innocent and apologetic. “Brother, I just knocked over a bottle of mosquito repellent. Don’t go in yet—the smell inside is strong enough to choke someone.”
Pei Ran stepped back outside and took a few deep breaths of fresh air before feeling like he had returned to the world of the living.
“Are there mosquitoes already this season?”
Otherwise, why would Pei An be using mosquito repellent?
Muttering to himself, he didn’t dwell on it too much. Getting straight to the point, he said, “Go open the windows to air out the smell. Are you hungry? I’ll order some takeout. What do you want to eat?”
“Brother, you want to eat a midnight snack? Then why don’t we go out to eat? The smell at home is awful—everything will taste like mosquito repellent. Ugh, just thinking about it makes me want to vomit!”
As he spoke, Pei An turned back to grab his keys and pushed Pei Ran toward the stairs.
“Brother, you’ve been too busy to come here lately, so you don’t know there’s a new barbecue place downstairs. It’s really good.”
Pei Ran was wearing an expensive suit and had originally intended to order takeout and eat at home, but seeing his brother’s enthusiasm, he didn’t refuse.
He just asked Pei An to grab a power bank for him.
Pei An agreed, turned around, and dashed upstairs. He returned quickly, a bright smile on his face as he handed it over.
“Here you go, brother!”
His face bore a five or six out of ten resemblance to Pei Ran’s.
Fortunately, the kid’s personality wasn’t like his. He hadn’t been too affected by their parents’ issues, didn’t dwell on things too much, and lived a carefree, happy life.
Pei Ran reached out to take it, smiling as he ruffled his younger brother’s hair.
That smile was like ice and snow melting away, the first glimpse of spring sunlight, adding an extra layer of brilliance to his already handsome face.
Pei An watched, then lowered his head.
His older brother had always been this dazzling and good-looking. Even in a crowd, no one could overlook him.
It wasn’t until they reached the shop Pei An had mentioned that he perked up again.
The two brothers ordered a table full of barbecue.
The shop owner seemed quite familiar with Pei An and kept glancing at Pei Ran.
Not only did he send over extra food, but he also tried to strike up a conversation, only to be playfully pushed away and brushed off by Pei An.
While eating and chatting, Pei Ran was indeed in a good mood today and revealed a bit about his work.
“Brother, you’re amazing, earning so much money!”
Pei An looked at his brother with admiration.
“Study hard, and you can be just as capable when you start working.”
Pei Ran knew his younger brother’s academic performance wasn’t as good as his own. Perhaps because Pei An had his older brother as a backup, he didn’t push himself as hard in everything and wasn’t as diligent in his studies.
Each time, Pei Ran couldn’t help but say a few more words.
Pei An immediately lowered his head, not daring to meet his brother’s eyes, and softly replied with an “Mm.”
This scene, which played out between the brothers from time to time, always ended magically with the younger brother obediently agreeing.
Pei Ran didn’t have time to dwell on it either; as children grow up, it’s normal for them to dislike being lectured.
After eating and drinking to their fill, without Pei An having to ask, Pei Ran transferred him three thousand yuan for living expenses.
“Let me know when the money runs out. Don’t be too frugal usually; go out and have fun with your classmates when you should, and make more friends.”
At school, being too unsociable might lead to being seen as an outsider.
Pei An took out his phone, accepted the money, and flashed a big smile at his brother.
“Brother, don’t worry, I have friends. I won’t be bullied at school.”
Pei Ran thought about it and realized it was true; after all, his brother was different from him.
After finishing their late-night snack and heading home, Pei Ran, at Pei An’s considerate request, didn’t accompany him upstairs.
Watching the stairwell lights illuminate floor by floor until the room on that level also lit up, Pei Ran finally turned and left.
He hailed a taxi to return to his own place, only realizing before getting in the car that he still had his brother’s power bank and had forgotten to return it.
He didn’t know when he’d come back next time.
A power bank was also a daily necessity, and his brother surely needed it regularly. If he took it, the kid might go buy another one.
That unnecessary expense wasn’t worth it.
So, Pei Ran turned back and entered the residential complex, going upstairs to return the power bank.
He knocked on the door, and within seconds, it opened.
“Hey, the delivery guy’s pretty fast today… uh… ouch!”
The one who opened the door was a blue-haired guy reeking of floral-scented insect repellent.
He looked about the same age as Pei An, had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, stood slouched, and his eyes were still looking inside the room as he spoke.
When he turned around and unexpectedly saw Pei Ran’s face, he was so startled that he dropped his cigarette.
The cigarette butt landed squarely on his foot, which was only wearing flip-flops, causing him to gasp in pain and hop around.
“Pei An’s friend?”
Pei Ran’s expression instantly turned cold.
With such a familiar tone, no one would believe he wasn’t a friend of the person inside.
The blue-haired guy covered his foot, hunched over like an upright shrimp. He opened his mouth, wanting to come up with some lie, but as soon as he met Pei Ran’s gaze, his eyes immediately darted away.
This man was terrifying…
Without wasting another word, Pei Ran pushed him aside and walked straight in.
The overwhelmingly strong scent of insect repellent inside had mostly dissipated, and the smell of alcohol and cigarettes mixed in finally regained dominance.
It hit his nostrils directly.
Pei Ran looked up and saw six or seven colorful heads huddled around the living room sofa, with bottles and cans scattered messily on the coffee table.
Several takeout boxes were already empty, with bones and trash strewn everywhere.
Pei An, who had been bragging with spit flying, suddenly sensed something amiss. He looked up and saw his brother standing there, watching him coldly.
“Bro…”
Brother?
The whole rowdy group looked up in unison.
Pei Ran stood there in a suit, a stark contrast to the room full of people in ripped, fringed outfits. It was like a collision between a high-end luxury brand launch and a small market in the north of the city, forcibly mashed together by this unexpected encounter.
The contrast was particularly brutal.
Pei Ran withdrew his gaze, placed the power bank in his hand on the cabinet by the entrance, then turned and walked away.
Seeing this, Pei An, who had been uneasy, had only one thought flash through his mind.
It’s over. His brother is angry.
But before he could gather his words, Pei Ran had already turned and left.
There wasn’t a single attempt to persuade someone to “turn back from the wrong path.”
The brotherly bond Pei An had thought unbreakable shattered instantly, weaker than paper.
His so-called friends nudged him. “Pei An, that’s your brother, right? He just left like that. Is everything okay?”
Only then did Pei An snap out of it. Without another thought, he dashed after him.
His brother would be fine, but his future living expenses were in trouble.
He remembered now just how ruthless his brother could be. Thinking of his father’s permanently blacklisted status, he didn’t want to be the next in line.
Pei An ran as fast as he could, finally catching up to Pei Ran just as he was about to get into a taxi.
“Brother, I was wrong! Let me explain!”
Pei Ran’s lips twitched slightly as he looked at his brother, feeling both familiar and strange.
It had been too long since he’d properly looked at this younger brother. The kid had changed more than the spring scenery.
Turns out, he really did look a lot like their dad.
And the explanation that was about to come would probably be quite similar too.
Pei Ran had little interest in listening to a bunch of time-wasting nonsense. He tried to get into the car and leave, but Pei An stubbornly held him back.
The driver, weighing the options between watching the drama and making money quickly, drove off, leaving a trail of exhaust fumes.
Pei An clung to his brother, tears already streaming down his face.
“Brother, those people are just neighbors from the community! They come over occasionally to hang out. I don’t usually spend time with them. I haven’t turned bad, you have to believe me!”
Pei Ran curled the corner of his mouth, thinking to himself, See? Just as I guessed. About seventy or eighty percent similar to their dad’s excuses.
All that was missing was the desperation to use family ties to pressure him, accusing him of disregarding brotherly affection.
After leaving his brother’s place, Pei Ran hadn’t opened his mouth again, the mockery at the corner of his lips seeming frozen in place.
Listening to the nonsense that made him want to vomit up the late-night snack he’d just eaten, he exerted a bit of force and shook the person off.
Ignoring whatever Pei An was shouting behind him, he prepared to cross the street to hail a taxi on the other side.
The road was empty in the dead of night. Halfway across, a motorcycle suddenly shot out from the side at a speed that left him no time to react, slamming into him and sending him flying.
With a thud, he landed back on the ground.
The motorcycle sped past for over ten meters, then skidded around and came back.
With a screech, it braked sharply right in front of Pei An.
“Are you insane!”
Pei An’s face turned ashen, looking helplessly at his brother lying in a pool of blood, then roaring at his friend on the motorcycle.
His voice trembled, veins bulging on his forehead and neck.
His heart was filled with fear—murder would land him in prison.
“I did it all for you!”
The blond-haired man on the motorcycle was also trembling. He stopped the bike, walked over to Pei An, and offered advice, his breath reeking of alcohol.
“Didn’t you say your brother has a terrible temper? Look at how he acted just now. Do you think you’ll ever get money from him again? Think about it—if he dies, you’re his younger brother. You should get a share of whatever he leaves behind. That’ll be more than enough for you.”
Pei An: “But we killed someone. The police will definitely come for us…”
The blond man grabbed his shoulder: “What’s there to be afraid of? As long as we get the death certificate and have the body cremated, it’ll all be over. I know people who can help us cover it up!”
……
Pei Ran, still reeling from the chaos, finally steadied his mind after a long period of disorientation.
As for his body—he was suspended in mid-air, looking down at his own motionless form on the ground. He thought to himself that he probably wouldn’t have to worry about his body anymore.
Soul separated from flesh—he must be dead.
Pei Ran stared blankly at everything, heartbroken over his suit covered in dust.
It was probably torn beyond repair, unwearable now.
Drifting aimlessly, Pei Ran had nowhere to go, so he simply followed Pei An.
He watched as Pei An, taking advantage of the late-night emptiness, moved his corpse back upstairs with help, cleaned up the bloodstains, and the next day pretended to have discovered his sudden death, weeping as he arranged the funeral.
For the first time, Pei Ran realized that his younger brother’s acting skills far surpassed their father’s.
Whether it was the act of a caring younger brother bringing his drunk older brother home while secretly carrying a corpse into the neighborhood at night, or the heart-wrenching portrayal of a pitiful child who had lost his only remaining family in front of outsiders—it was all so convincing it could move anyone to tears.
Pei An’s refusal to let go of the corpse, the brothers’ reputation for harmony and affection, the blond man and his friends who seemed to have come to stir up trouble, and the neighbors who couldn’t bear to watch and tried to intervene—after a chaotic farce that left everyone’s heads buzzing, they actually managed to obtain the death certificate and swiftly cremate the body.
By the time anyone found anything suspicious, it was already too late.
Among his family, aside from his accomplice younger brother, neither of his parents bothered to seriously investigate the cause of his death, as if his overwork-induced sudden death was the most natural thing in the world.
They didn’t even question why they never got to see his body one last time.
His father, however, remembered to demand compensation from his company.
Pei Ran watched everything with cold detachment.
He didn’t care about any of it—not the two men who had once held important places in his life, nor his biological mother, who showed up just long enough to light a stick of incense before trying to leave.
He only mourned the loss of his money, painstakingly saved bit by bit since childhood. He could already foresee it being squandered on a life of debauchery.
His chest felt tight.
In the mourning hall where his ashes were placed, the mournful sound of the suona grew louder and louder, drowning out the voices of his former parents, who had finally reunited after many years only to argue and bicker.
Pei Ran clutched his “chest,” feeling as though he was about to be sent off for good.
His head throbbed with intense pain.
Until, suddenly, a voice—pinched and shrill, as if from the inner chambers of an imperial palace—rang in his ears.
“Surprise!”
“Happy Birthday, President Pei!”
Pei Ran abruptly opened his eyes, only to be sprayed in the face with glitter and petals from a handheld party popper.
His vision was filled with dazzling lights, balloons, streamers, a massive cake, and a room full of joyful, smiling faces.
The loud, looping sound of a suona horn echoed in Pei Ran’s ears, but his brow furrowed in confusion.
What was going on?
Was reincarnation in modern times so efficient now? Did they skip the whole birth part entirely, seamlessly transitioning into a new life as livestock—no, as a corporate drone?
+++
Since some lovely readers don’t check the author’s notes, I’ll put this here:
【The younger brother and the murderer won’t get away so easily—please keep reading~】
【Author’s Note】
Shameless plug for my completed no-romance novel, “The Craziest Top Star” (though “The Zen Top Star” would be more fitting—feel free to check it out if you’re interested. Happy reading!)