Chapter 33: The new brother is actually the heroine

After more than an hour of trekking, Ye Ping’an finally arrived at his destination.

The boy, who had struggled through the journey on his injured leg, could now stand. Though he still walked with a limp, it seemed he was no longer in any real danger.

“Big Brother, won’t you come in for a bit?” the boy asked, a note of reluctance in his voice.

Ye Ping’an shook his head.

“No, my junior sister is still waiting for me. I’ve already been gone far too long—she’s probably getting anxious.”

“Oh…” The boy clearly wanted to keep him a while longer, but after a brief hesitation, he gave up. He lowered his head slightly.

“Then… please be careful on your way back, Big Brother.”

“You too,” Ye Ping’an replied with a nod.

“Take care of yourself. I’m off now.”

He turned to leave—but just as he took a few steps, the boy suddenly called out behind him.

“Wait!”

Ye Ping’an stopped and glanced back.

“Big Brother, I… I still don’t know your name,” the boy said, his voice inexplicably tense.

“Oh, I’m Ye Ping’an,” he replied without hesitation.

“Ye Ping’an… It’s said that a big brother is like an elder sibling,” the boy murmured, then smiled shyly.

“From now on, can I call you Brother Ping’an?”

Ye Ping’an couldn’t help but find the phrasing a bit quaint. Probably from a family of scholars, he thought. Still, he didn’t object.

“Sure. What’s your name?”

Hearing that Ye Ping’an wanted to know his name, the boy visibly brightened, chest puffed up with pride.

“My name’s Feng Aotian, but Big Brother can just call me Xiaotian. Pretty cool name, huh?”

“Not bad!” Ye Ping’an gave a sincere nod.

“With a name like that, your future is definitely going to be extraordinary.”

He wasn’t just being polite. Whoever named this kid clearly had great ambitions. A name like Feng Aotian?

That screamed “Emperor material.”

“T-thank you, Brother Ping’an.” The boy’s cheeks flushed with happiness at the compliment.

“Alright then, if fate allows, we’ll meet again someday. For now, focus on healing.” With that, Ye Ping’an turned and began retracing his steps.

He had to hurry—any more delay, and it’d be dark by the time he got back.

On the way back, the name Feng Aotian kept echoing in his mind. The more he thought about it, the more familiar it sounded.

Just then, a vibrantly colored bird fluttered past—and something clicked.

Ye Ping’an froze, his face suddenly paling.

Wait a minute. Feng Aotian?

That was the main character’s name—the protagonist of the novel world he had transmigrated into!

He’d always found it suspicious—either the author had gotten lazy, or there was some ridiculous meta twist going on. But yes, in the story, the hero really was called Feng Aotian.

And if he remembered correctly, this area was close to the female lead’s ancestral estate. That meant there was a high chance Feng Aotian was part of the secondary branch of the family.

And then—his brain served up a specific memory.

There was a scene early on in the story: Feng Aotian and a future female lead were being attacked by a snake-type demon beast.

He’d panicked, even threw himself into the girl’s arms for protection. But she was the one who ultimately killed the snake.

Afterward, when she teased him about it, Feng Aotian explained that he had a deep fear of snakes.

When he was younger, he’d been bitten by a massive black serpent. He’d only survived by luck, using a relic from his parents to kill the beast.

But the venom had paralyzed him for over a day, and the dead snake’s body had lain across him the entire time. That trauma had left him with a lifelong phobia.

Ye Ping’an had always assumed that scene was just the protagonist milking sympathy from the female lead. But now… it turned out to be real.

And what had he just done?

He took the protagonist in as his little brother. The Feng Aotian.

Did he forget what usually happened to people who dared treat the protagonist like a subordinate? They got killed off by the plot!

And worse—when he was drawing out the snake venom earlier, he’d kissed the guy’s calf.

KISSED it!

And this was a protagonist who was known for his hatred of men. In the story, he’d once cut someone down just for brushing against him.

There was even a chapter where Feng Aotian took a female lead out for dinner.

When a pervert tried to steal their used chopsticks to satisfy some sick fetish, Feng Aotian killed him on the spot—with zero hesitation.

The memory made Ye Ping’an break out in a cold sweat.

Slap!

He smacked himself across the face.

Why? Why had he so casually told the protagonist his real name?

It was like placing his own head on a chopping block and handing Feng Aotian the sword.

He’d tried so hard to avoid this kind of disaster.

And yet here he was, getting tangled up with the story’s most dangerous character—and not just that, but in a way that was bound to provoke him.

Sure, Feng Aotian seemed friendly now. Like he really saw Ye Ping’an as his big brother.

But this was a Xianxia world. If the protagonist ever awakened his true power or that twisted “plot armor” personality…

Ye Ping’an didn’t even want to imagine what would happen next.

His only hope now was that Feng Aotian was still young—and might just forget him over time.

For the first time in his life, Ye Ping’an—who had never believed in deities—pressed his palms together and prayed.

Please, please, let Feng Aotian forget me completely. Push me to the deepest corners of his mind. Bury me in oblivion.

Back at the edge of the forest, the boy watched the figure of Ye Ping’an walking away, eyes filled with reluctant longing.

Or rather… not a boy.

A girl.

From a young age, she had lost her parents. Not because they died—but because they vanished. Disappeared without a trace.

Those around her didn’t know the truth. They assumed her parents were dead, even blamed her for it—said she had cursed her own family.

The adults’ whispers turned to cruel gossip, and the children followed their lead. They stopped playing with her. Some even bullied her outright.

To protect herself, she stopped wearing dresses, cut her hair short, and began dressing like a boy. She fought back whenever someone tried to push her around.

But that only made her more isolated.

So she grew up like that—alone, angry, and determined.

Just a few days ago, someone from the main family sent word to their branch: they wanted a “pretty young girl” sent to the main estate.

The head of the branch family knew exactly what that meant—marriage. Nothing else made sense. And if the groom was a volatile, dangerous man, that was a death sentence.

So, he chose the girl.

She was adorable—delicate features, soft voice. A perfect candidate.

When she heard she was being sent to the main house, she didn’t protest. Her life here wasn’t great anyway. Maybe things would be better there.

Maybe she could even find some clue about her missing parents.

So she agreed.

Before leaving, she came to visit the forest one last time.

And that’s where she met him—the one person who saw her not as a burden or a pawn, but simply as a little brother.