Little Pink Starfish

Gu Bai hesitated for three seconds.

Holy shit, I actually have a younger brother? I completely forgot!

—To be honest, if Wei Liang, that femboy, hadn’t immediately appeared in front of him after he woke up, chattering away non-stop, he probably wouldn’t have remembered him either.

After all, he had spent hundreds of years in Lingwu Continent, roaming the world with a damn pervert, experiencing all sorts of crazy adventures—his life was so full that the first twenty-something years of his past life had been buried deep in the back of his memory.

He never thought he would return one day.

Now, as Gu Bai finally recalled his younger brother, he couldn’t help but sigh.

A younger brother…

Thinking about it, back when he first transmigrated and saw the little, battered, and bruised Qi Guanrui, part of the reason he had pitied him so much was because of his younger brother.

Even though, technically, that was just his half-brother.

At this point, let’s take a moment to explain the background of Gu Bai—the harem novel writer.

Yes, he was a hardcore otaku.

But otakus, too, have parents.

And this… was a very cliché, melodramatic story.

First of all, while Gu Bai and his younger brother were half-siblings, they were both legitimate children. The dramatic backstory belonged to the previous generation—there was no mistress drama or anything sleazy, just a case of fate being a bitch.

Once upon a time, Gu Bai’s father had a childhood sweetheart. They grew up together, fell in love, and promised to get married. But then, life threw a wrench in their plans, and they were separated for years.

By the time Gu Bai’s father reached the age for marriage, his family arranged a blind date, leading to an emotionless marriage. The result? Gu Bai was born.

Since Gu Bai’s parents didn’t love each other, their relationship was as cold as ice. His father spent his days longing for his true love, while his mother focused entirely on Gu Bai. Their family atmosphere? Absolute trash.

Gu Bai didn’t exactly lack love, thanks to his mother, but his father was basically a deadbeat, which did have some impact on him. As a result, from a young age, he preferred to lose himself in books—gradually evolving into a full-fledged otaku.

Then, when Gu Bai’s mother passed away in her early thirties due to health complications from childbirth, his life officially became miserable.

At just seven or eight years old, he had to fend for himself, and his relationship with his father became even more distant.

Two years later, when Gu Bai was ten, his father brought home a woman.

That woman was his childhood sweetheart—the one who had been waiting for him all along.

And just like that, true love reunited, his father became a brand-new man, and he remarried.

Imagine the sheer disgusting sweetness of that couple. It was enough to blind Gu Bai.

So, he packed up and moved into a boarding school, where he met Wei Liang and began his lifelong bromance.

There’s a saying: With a stepmother comes a stepfather.

But in the Gu family’s unique situation—his father didn’t just become a stepfather to Wei Liang, but also to his own “love child.”

After remarrying, his father had another kid the following year.

That was Gu Bai’s younger brother, Gu Zhang—who, like his name, nearly had his entire life ruined by their irresponsible parents.

For years, Gu Bai stayed in boarding school and later went off to university. When he finally returned home, it wasn’t because of nostalgia—he simply thought, I should at least see what my little brother looks like after all these years, right? He’s already six. It’s about time.

What did he find when he got home?

The nanny beating the kid.

THE NANNY WAS BEATING A CHILD.

At this point, everyone should already know—the child getting beaten was none other than Gu Bai’s little brother, and their worthless parents had once again gone off on yet another honeymoon.

The kid had always been left with the nanny, and with the parents gone all the time, the nanny naturally didn’t give a shit—pocketing all the childcare money while letting the kid grow up like a malnourished sprout.

He wasn’t starving per se, but he sure as hell wasn’t thriving.

Seeing this, Gu Bai snapped.

He immediately called his father and cussed him out.

From that moment on, he took full responsibility for his little brother.

The nanny? Fired.

And after that? Well, it was just Gu Bai and his younger brother, awkwardly staring at each other.

So, the next logical step?

Gu Bai took his brother with him to his university city, rented an apartment, and, using the living expenses + tuition money his father provided, became a full-time caretaker.

Normally, half-siblings with different mothers should hate each other.

But since their useless parents neglected them both, they clung together instead.

In the end, they practically became their own little family—treating their parents like they didn’t exist.

Especially after Gu Bai started making money from writing.

Once he got rich, he paid back every cent of the so-called “living expenses,” then continued raising his brother without taking a dime from their parents.

And their father?

That asshole actually didn’t care.

He and his true love were just middle-class folks, and honeymoons were their biggest expense. But now that their older son had paid them back and the younger son was also off their hands, guess what?

They went on a world tour.

╮(╯▽╰)╭

So yeah, Gu Bai’s life was pretty messed up.

His only real family?

His little brother. _{[T/N: And he fucking forgot him.]}

——

The deep dive into memory lane took up a bit of time.

On the other end of the phone, Wei Liang was shouting, “Hello? Hello? Xiao Bai Cai, did you seriously forget your little brother?! He’s in his rebellious phase! If you don’t hurry up, he’s gonna ditch school and come looking for you!”

Gu Bai, expressionless, replied, “…I didn’t forget.”

Wei Liang sighed in relief. “Good. Then get your ass moving before you’re late.”

Gu Bai: “Oh.”

Then, he hung up the phone and stared blankly into the mirror.

Fuck. My body changed. How the hell do I meet my little brother like this?!

After taking a deep breath, he quickly changed into a modern, white, casual outfit.

(Note: Purchased by the pervert.)

After dressing up, Gu Bai examined himself in the mirror.

Alright. Technically, there’s still some resemblance to my otaku body…

After all, writing novels is a bit of a self-projection, right?

Like, Ziche Shubai was originally my ultimate self-insert—so naturally, there’s a bit of me in him…

Maybe.

If you take my otaku self and beautify it by a hundred times.

Gu Bai tugged at his shirt hem, deadpan.

…Fine. Might as well roll with it.

For now, the important thing was—

Damn, I’m ridiculously handsome! MWAHAHAHA! _{[T/N: Cringe.]}

---

After getting ready, Gu Bai prepared to leave.

A silent, handsome butler immediately followed behind him.

Gu Bai shot him a dead-fish glare.

You really think I wouldn’t notice you sneaking behind me?

The butler bowed respectfully. “Master said that no matter where Young Master Gu goes, I must accompany him.”

Gu Bai: “…”

Fine. If it’s the pervert’s orders…

Taking another deep breath, Gu Bai turned around and stepped outside.

A custom luxury car was already parked outside the villa, with a burly bodyguard in the driver’s seat and the butler sitting up front, prepared to guide him.

The ride was smooth, quickly arriving at the arranged meeting point.

Standing by the roadside, a femboy with fiery red lips waved a handkerchief at the car.

Gu Bai hesitated, then reached for the door handle.

Wei Liang lunged forward. “…Wait!”

Gu Bai: “?”

Wei Liang: “I think… you should not get out of the car.”

Wei Liang, under the polite service of the butler, got into the car and sat beside Gu Bai in the backseat.

The two stared at each other.

After a long silence, Wei Liang suddenly sighed. “If you had looked like this when we first met, I definitely wouldn’t have been your friend.”

Gu Bai remained expressionless. “I know I’m so ridiculously handsome that I have no friends. Don’t let it make you feel insecure.”

Wei Liang: “…”

Slowly but surely, the car approached the private boarding school—a rather prestigious and high-end institution.

Gu Bai suddenly hesitated.

Wei Liang glanced at him. “What’s wrong?”

Gu Bai sighed. “I’m this handsome. What if my dìdì (younger brother) doesn’t recognize me?”

Wei Liang also sighed. “I think you should be more worried about how you’re going to explain yourself to him.”

Gu Bai fell silent.

Yeah. How the hell am I supposed to explain this?!

Do I say I got myself a boyfriend? Or that my boyfriend isn’t even human?!

If my little brother asks why I look different, what am I supposed to say?! That my original body got eaten by my boyfriend?!

Who the hell would believe that?!

Sure, transmigration stories are everywhere these days, but this still isn’t scientific!!!

Wei Liang finally couldn’t resist reaching out to ruffle Gu Bai’s hair. Smiling slightly, he said, “Just tell him the truth.”

Gu Bai covered his face and silently nodded.

---

Snow Plum Private Academy.

At the entrance, a tall, slender teenager pulled out his phone and checked the time. His sharp, strikingly handsome face carried a cold expression, but if one looked closely…

There was a trace of expectation in his eyes.

Why isn’t Gege here yet?

He should be here soon, right?

It’s been so long since I’ve seen Gege. What if I miss him?

Did that femboy gege manage to drag him out to exercise? If not, maybe I should skip class and force him to work out myself…

Ugh, why isn’t he here yet?

Wait, it’s still a little early.

The teenager stood out not just because of his stunning looks, but also because of his presence.

Standing at the school gates, he was impossible to ignore—a striking figure that attracted plenty of admiring gazes from female students.

At that moment, a delicate girl shyly walked up to him and tugged at his sleeve. “Ah Zhang, you’re not eating with me today? Who are you waiting for…? Is she prettier than me?”

The teenager frowned impatiently. “Don’t bother me. If I miss him, I’ll take Lulu out next time instead.”

The girl’s eyes welled up with tears. “Fine, I won’t bother you…”

Just then, a low-profile but extravagantly luxurious extended car glided smoothly to a stop just a few meters away.

A butler in a perfectly tailored tailcoat stepped out from the front seat. With utmost respect, he opened one of the back doors, revealing a stunning, sexy woman with voluminous curls and fiery red lips.

She waved elegantly at the teenager.

The boy’s eyes instantly lit up.

It’s femboy gege! Then that means…

Wei Liang stepped out of the car.

And from behind him, a tall figure dressed in white emerged.

The moment he stepped into view—

The entire world seemed to pause.

It was a man of breathtaking beauty. A sight so earth-shatteringly stunning, it could make ghosts weep and shake the heavens.