The Hated Melancholic Bottom Has Reborn

At the age of thirteen, Chun Di discovered that he had been switched at birth. He was not the son of a gambler, but rather the true heir of the wealthy Lin family in Gusu. Excited yet fearful, he returned to his real home, only to face disdain from every family member. His father scorned his lack of education, his mother found his temperament unworthy, his elder brother accused him of malice, and even his young twin siblings cried at the sight of him. In stark contrast was Lin Zhongtan, the one who had lived Chun Di's intended life. Lin Zhongtan was elegant, handsome, and erudite, becoming a closed-door disciple of a renowned scholar at a young age. Though Chun Di was the true heir, everyone adored Lin Zhongtan. Growing increasingly bitter and insecure, Chun Di began to resemble a toad lurking in the shadows. While Lin Zhongtan earned his place at the Imperial Academy through merit, Chun Di's father paid for his admission. The elite there only associated with Lin Zhongtan. One day, the toad threw himself into the swan's embrace. Using his body as bait and love as an excuse, he coaxed the swan to help him. With Lin Zhongtan's ghostwriting, Chun Di gained a reputation as a talented scholar. His father praised him in a rare letter, and even the Crown Prince invited him to a private banquet. Overjoyed, Chun Di dressed in his finest attire to attend, only to be publicly exposed for having Lin Zhongtan write all his poems and essays. Humiliated, Chun Di looked to Lin Zhongtan, but the swan who had once kissed his fingertips now gazed at him coldly. Chun Di ran away in the rain and drowned in a river that night. At the same time, the beloved yet mentally impaired ninth prince, born to the Emperor's favorite concubine, awoke after a fatal fever had nearly taken his life.