Go Play With Eggs

Bang, bang, bang, bang.

The patrolling watchmen struck their rhythmically beating clappers.

The sound reached the stilted houses. Fang Yuan opened his dry eyelids, thinking to himself, "It's the Fifth Watch."

He had lain in bed thinking for a long time last night, making a whole slew of plans. All told, he had only slept a little over an hour.

This body hadn't begun cultivation yet, so its energy wasn't abundant. Thus, waves of fatigue and drowsiness still enveloped his body and mind.

However, over five hundred years of experience had already forged Fang Yuan's will into something as unyielding as steel. This slight sleepiness was nothing at all.

He immediately pushed aside the thin silk quilt and got out of bed with clean, decisive movements.

Pushing open the window, the spring rain had stopped.

A fresh, damp scent, mixed with the fragrance of earth, trees, and wildflowers, immediately assailed him. Fang Yuan felt his mind clear, the groggy sleepiness completely dispelled.

The sun had not yet risen. The sky was a deep blue, appearing both dark and bright.

Looking out, the stilted houses, built from green bamboo and trees, complemented the surrounding mountains, presenting a scene of serene, verdant green.

The stilted houses were at least two stories high, a characteristic structure for mountain dwellers' homes. Because the mountains were rugged and uneven, the first floor consisted of massive wooden stilts, with the living quarters on the second floor.

Fang Yuan and his younger brother, Fang Zheng, lived on the second floor.

"Young Master Fang Yuan, you're awake. I'll come upstairs right away to help you wash up," a maiden's voice called from downstairs at that moment.

Fang Yuan looked down and saw it was his personal maid, Shen Cui.

Her appearance was only average, but she was well-dressed. She wore a green outfit, with long sleeves and trousers, embroidered shoes on her feet, and a pearl hairpin in her black hair. She exuded youthful vitality from head to toe.

She glanced at Fang Yuan with a happy expression, carrying a basin of water, and hurried upstairs.

The water was warm, prepared for washing his face. For rinsing his mouth, a willow twig dipped in snow salt would be used to clean and whiten his teeth.

Shen Cui served him gently, a smile on her face, her eyes full of affection. Then, she helped Fang Yuan dress and tie his clothes. During this process, she would occasionally brush his arm or back with her full chest.

Fang Yuan remained expressionless, his mind as still as a placid lake.

This maid was not only an informant for his uncle and aunt, but she was also vain, materialistic, and cold-hearted. In his previous life, he had been deceived by her. After the opening of the Aperture ceremony, his status plummeted, and she immediately turned her back on him, giving him plenty of disdainful looks.

When Fang Zheng arrived, he saw Shen Cui smoothing the wrinkles on Fang Yuan's chest. A flicker of envy and jealousy flashed in his eyes.

He had lived with his brother all these years, cared for by Fang Yuan, and he also had a servant attending to him. However, it wasn't a young maid like Shen Cui, but a plump, elderly nanny.

"If only Shen Cui could serve me like this someday, what would that feel like?" Fang Zheng wondered, both daring and not daring to think about it.

His aunt and uncle's favoritism towards Fang Yuan was common knowledge throughout the estate.

Originally, he wouldn't have had a servant attending to him; it was Fang Yuan who had actively requested one for Fang Zheng.

Although there was a distinction between master and servant, Fang Zheng did not dare to look down on Shen Cui in daily life. This was because Shen Cui's mother was Mama Shen, who served by his aunt's side. Mama Shen was also the housekeeper for the entire estate, deeply trusted by his aunt, and held considerable authority.

"Alright, no need to tidy up anymore." Fang Yuan impatiently brushed away Shen Cui's soft little hand. His clothes were already neat; Shen Cui was doing more to entice him.

For her, his future was bright, with a high probability of obtaining Class A aptitude. If she could become Fang Yuan's concubine, she would transition from servant to mistress, a veritable step to heaven.

In his previous life, Fang Yuan had been deceived and had even fallen for this maid. But after his rebirth, he saw through her with clarity, his heart as cold as frost.

"You may withdraw," Fang Yuan said, not even looking at Shen Cui as he adjusted his sleeves.

Shen Cui pouted slightly, feeling a bit strange and wronged by Fang Yuan's lack of affection today. She wanted to say something coquettish, but she was intimidated by Fang Yuan's subtle, inexplicable aura. She opened her mouth several times, but finally said, "Yes," and obediently withdrew.

"Are you ready?" Fang Yuan looked at Fang Zheng.

His brother stood at the doorway, looking foolishly at his own toes, and softly grunted in affirmation.

He had actually woken up at the Fourth Watch, too nervous to sleep. He had secretly gotten up and prepared early, and both his eyes were dark.

Fang Yuan nodded. In his past life, he hadn't understood his brother's thoughts, but in this life, how could he not?

However, pointing it out now would be meaningless. He said indifferently, "Then let's go."

Thus, the two brothers left their residence. Along the way, they encountered many peers, walking in twos and threes, clearly heading to the same destination.

"Look, it's the Fang brothers," hushed discussions reached their ears.

"The one walking ahead is that Fang Yuan, the Fang Yuan who composed poetry," someone emphasized.

"So it's him. His expressionless, oblivious demeanor truly is as arrogant as the rumors say." Someone spoke with a sour tone, filled with jealousy and envy.

"Hmph, if you could be like him, you could be arrogant too!" someone retorted with a cold snort, hiding a hint of dissatisfaction.

Fang Yuan listened expressionlessly; he was long accustomed to such discussions.

He lowered his head, following his brother, walking silently.

By this time, the horizon had already lit up with the dawn. Fang Yuan's shadow was cast upon his face.

The morning sun was gradually rising, but Fang Zheng suddenly felt as if he were walking into darkness.

This darkness originated from his brother. Perhaps, in this lifetime, he would never escape the immense shadow his brother cast over him.

He felt a suffocating pressure in his chest, even difficulty breathing. This damnable feeling even made him think of the word "suffocation"!

"Hmph, these kinds of discussions, truly, 'the wind will surely break the tree that stands out in the forest'," Fang Yuan thought with a cold smile, listening to the murmurs around him.

No wonder, after his Class C aptitude was measured, he was surrounded by enemies and endured harshness, disdainful glances, and cold treatment for a long time.

He also took in the increasingly heavy gasps of his younger brother, Fang Zheng, from behind him.

What he hadn't noticed in his previous life, he could now see with perfect clarity.

This was the keen insight brought by five hundred years of life experience.

He suddenly thought of his uncle and aunt; they truly had some tricks up their sleeves. They had assigned Shen Cui to personally monitor him, and an old wet nurse for his brother. There were also other subtle differences in treatment in daily life.

All of this was done intentionally, to stir up resentment in his brother's heart and sow discord in their brotherhood.

The saying goes, people don't worry about scarcity, but about inequality.

In his previous life, he had too little experience, and his brother was too foolish and naive, so his uncle and aunt's machinations succeeded.

Since his rebirth, with the opening ceremony fast approaching, the situation seemed beyond repair. However, with Fang Yuan's methods and wisdom as a demonic overlord, it wasn't impossible to change.

This brother could be completely suppressed and subdued. Shen Cui, just a mere slip of a girl, could be brought into his harem even earlier. As for his uncle, aunt, and the clan elders, he had hundreds of ways to put them in their place.

"But, I don't want to do that..." Fang Yuan sighed leisurely in his heart.

Even if he was his own brother, without any familial affection, he was just an outsider. If he had to abandon him, so be it.

Even if Shen Cui was beautiful, without love and loyalty, she was just a body. Bring her into his harem? She wasn't worthy.

Even if they were his uncle, aunt, clan elders, they were all just passersby in his life. Why bother racking his brains and expending energy to deal with these strangers?

Heh heh.

As long as they don't hinder my progress, they can go play with themselves; I wouldn't even bother to step on them.