"Where is this place? Why did I turn into a child?!"
Giang Minh was full of questions as he slowly got off the bed and looked around.
"This is clearly an orphanage! Did I reincarnate? But this definitely isn't my body!"
He stared at the child in the mirror. The body before him belonged to a stranger—a chubby-cheeked child with black hair and striking sapphire-blue eyes. This had to be a mixed-race child!
"Minh Minh! Are you awake yet? Are you really not going to eat lunch?"
A voice rang out, and a boy around seven or eight appeared. Giang Minh turned to look, just as the boy ran over, grabbed his hand, and started dragging him off, muttering all the while.
"Minh Minh, you really are something! Why did you suddenly pick a fight with Xiao Gou? Now you're on cleaning duty and sulking without eating..."
As the boy pulled him along, he kept grumbling.
From his words, Giang Minh roughly understood the situation. Apparently, he had picked a fight with someone and was punished—but instead of accepting it, he chose to go on a hunger strike.
"Also, Minh Minh! How many times do I have to tell you not to hang around Tan Tranh? That guy is not as decent as you think..."
The boy turned back to scold him, clearly upset. But suddenly, Giang Minh froze. Tan Tranh? That name belonged to the main bottom (shou) character in a BL novel he had read by chance. He looked up and asked hesitantly,
"Is this… the Loving Home Orphanage… in the outskirts of City A?"
The other boy paused, looked at him strangely, then gave him a hard flick on the forehead.
"Of course it is! Did you hit your head while napping or what? If we're not here, where else would we be? Don't tell me after fighting with Xiao Gou, you also..."
"...lost your brain somewhere..."
That last comment made Giang Minh freeze. This was the exact plot from the book. This was where the shou character had lived before being adopted by the prestigious Cố family and becoming the beloved treasure of the powerful main top (gong).
At last, he realized who he was—just a minor side character in the story. According to the original plot, he was one of the two children selected to be adopted by the Cố family. But for some unknown reason, he declined the opportunity, which was then given to Tan Tranh. After that, the orphanage head held a grudge against him, constantly suppressing and overworking him. At age 15, he left to work, only to die in a workplace accident at 21.
Giang Minh had once sympathized deeply with this character—they shared the same name, Lâm Giang Minh. Now that he had transmigrated into his body, he was both surprised and confused. Why this character? Was he supposed to change this tragic fate?
"Hey Minh Minh! Are you even listening to me?"
He snapped out of his thoughts and finally noticed the boy in front of him. According to the story, this must be his close friend, Lâm Ngôn. He, too, was supposed to be adopted, but out of jealousy, he repeatedly tried to harm Tan Tranh and was eventually killed by the gong's people.
"Xiao Ngôn! What day is it today?"
A sudden thought came to him, and he asked urgently.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Xiao Ngôn! Anyway… today?"
"Yes! What's the date? The month, the year?"
He pressed further.
"It's July 21st, 2XXX!"
Giang Minh flinched. Today was the day the Cố family came to adopt someone. If the timeline was right, they'd arrive that afternoon.
Lost in thought, he followed Lâm Ngôn to the dining hall. Children of all ages were lined up to receive food from the kitchen lady. He and Xiao Ngôn queued up too, chatting idly. Giang Minh just nodded along, barely responding.
After lunch, they washed their trays and went back to their room for a nap.
At around 2 PM, he was dragged out for punishment—sweeping the back courtyard. He diligently got to work, but suddenly heard a sound:
Rustle...
A twig snapped. He turned around slowly. A boy about his age stood there, refined and striking, with an air of coldness. He wore elegant, expensive clothes—clearly someone of noble birth. But his features still held the traditional grace of East Asian beauty.
Giang Minh gave a slight bow and said politely:
"Hello! Do you need something? Are you lost?"
The boy stared at him for a moment, then asked,
"Aren't you afraid of me?"
Cố Bạch Dương was filled with doubt. Usually, the kids at this orphanage trembled in fear when they saw him. But this boy… not only was he unafraid, he even greeted him kindly. How strange.
Giang Minh chuckled at the question and replied:
"Why would I be afraid of you? It's not like you've done anything bad!"
Seeing that smile, Cố Bạch Dương froze. It was such a sweet smile—and those eyes… absolutely beautiful.
"Like the sapphire gem I saw at yesterday's auction… So beautiful."
The words slipped from his mouth without thinking, and Giang Minh widened his eyes in surprise.
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