After Becoming Arch-Enemies with My Best Bro - Chapter 1

September in the coastal city of Nancheng remained oppressively hot. Even the breeze coming off the ocean carried a sticky, humid saltiness that clung to the skin.

With summer break officially over, A University was buzzing with the sound of thousands of returning students.

Wen Huihan had just dragged his suitcase past the sports field. A group of freshmen in the middle of military training turned their heads in unison as he walked by, their faces filled with undisguised awe.

He possessed that perfect transition between youth and manhood tall, narrow-waisted, and long-legged, with the clean, lean muscle definition visible on his exposed arms and calves. His short, jet-black hair was cut sharp across his brow. Against his fair skin, his features were strikingly clear. In the sweltering heat of summer, he looked like a cool, refreshing spring a visual breath of fresh air.

If their drill sergeant hadn’t been standing right there, the freshmen probably would have let out a collective gasp. They had heard that A University was full of geniuses, but no one told them the quality of the “eye candy” was this high.

Unfortunately, the cool-toned beauty quickly crossed the field and disappeared around a corner, heading toward the dormitory area.

Under the scorching sun, Wen Huihan lingered at the base of his dorm building for a long time, unable to bring himself to go up.

Dammit. I’ve been mentally preparing for this for weeks. Why can’t I take the final step?

He knew he couldn’t hide forever. It wasn’t in his nature to run. But as he looked up at the building, thinking of the fate that awaited him, he let out a long, hollow sigh.

The Dream of Destiny

The source of Wen Huihan’s hesitation was a recurring dream that had plagued him for the past half-month.

In this dream, he discovered he was the evil villain in a classic “overpowered protagonist” novel. His best friend and college roommate, He Chenshuang, was the story’s legendary hero the “Dragon Aotian.”

According to the plot, they were close as brothers in the beginning, but would eventually turn into mortal enemies. As the villain, Wen Huihan would commit every atrocity imaginable, targeting the protagonist at every turn, only to end up dying a miserable death in a foreign land. Meanwhile, He Chenshuang, as the “Son of Heaven,” would defeat him and ride a wave of fame and fortune to the top of the world.

What utter nonsense, Wen Huihan had thought initially.

Everyone knew he and He Chenshuang were thick as thieves. They’d been inseparable since high school, the kind of friends who were close enough to share a single pair of pants. They had even made it into the same university. Although they were in different majors, they were miraculously assigned to the same dorm room. They were practically joined at the hip.

The idea of them becoming enemies was impossible.

And besides, if this was his dream, shouldn’t he be the protagonist? Why would he dream about himself being the stinky villain while He Chenshuang got to be the hero?

At first, he ignored it. Everyone has weird, illogical dreams. But soon, he realized something was wrong. For the next two weeks, the dream repeated every single night. The logic became tighter, the details clearer. It felt less like a dream and more like a “pre-awakening” of a fictional character.

Wen Huihan’s younger sister, Wen Nuannuo, was a hardcore fan of these kinds of novels. She was always trying to lend him her latest finds. Even though he always refused, he lived under the same roof as her. She listened to audio dramas while eating, showering, and sleeping. By sheer osmosis, Wen Huihan had learned quite a lot.

He knew about villains who “awakened” their self-awareness, got a “System,” and successfully changed their tragic fates to live a happy life. He also knew about the darker versions where the villain simply crushed the original protagonist and took over the story.

As the dreams grew more vivid, Wen Huihan began to question reality. Do I really live in a novel? Am I really the bad guy?

He couldn’t believe he was capable of being that evil. He was a law-abiding citizen. The “worst” thing he’d ever done was use a VPN to argue with foreigners on the internet. To believe he would eventually become a high-speed-racing, friend-betraying, cold-blooded criminal was a lot to take in.

But the thought haunted him. Driven by a desperate need for answers, he had locked himself in his room one afternoon and whispered to the wall: “System?”

Silence.

Wen Huihan:

He wanted to smack his past self for being so gullible.

Since no System appeared, he tried to tell himself he was overthinking it. But then, reality decided to give him a nudge.

He Chenshuang was a top-tier student who spent his summer at an International Mathematical Olympiad in C Province. One night, Wen Huihan dreamed that He Chenshuang won the Grand Prize and sent him a WeChat message to brag. When he woke up the next morning, he checked his phone.

There it was. A photo of the Grand Prize certificate, sent by He Chenshuang with his usual effortless arrogance.

Wen Huihan stared at his phone like his world had ended. Even Nuannuo, passing by, stopped to ask, “Bro? Did you get dumped?”

“No.”

He hadn’t been dumped. He’d just lost his sanity.

The fact that the dream had predicted reality exactly was the final nail in the coffin. He had to accept it: he was the villain.

After the initial breakdown came the cold hard truth. He secretly “borrowed” several of his sister’s novels and began studying how to be an actual antagonist. If the universe gave him self-awareness, he had to protect himself and his family. Down with the protagonist! Long live the evil forces.

The First Encounter

He had delayed his return to campus until the very last day. On the train ride over, he had fantasized about a meteor hitting Earth or an alien invasion anything to give He Chenshuang a bigger problem to solve so he wouldn’t have time to fight him.

He even took “villainous” selfies on the train, practicing his best sneer and “psychopath” smile to prepare for the role.

But now, standing under the dorm building, his resolve was wavering. It felt weird to go up and face his “arch-enemy” when they’d been “father and son” (as bros often call each other) for so many years.

He was about to turn around and check into a hotel for the night when his phone vibrated.

He Aotian: Are you downstairs trying to win a step-count challenge on WeChat?

Wen Huihan: 

He clutched his phone, looking up at the building with a jolt of alarm. Since discovering the “truth,” he had changed He Chenshuang’s contact name to “He Aotian” to remind himself never to show mercy.

He’s watching me? Since when? How did I not notice?

His “rival” was indeed a powerful opponent. He had to stay sharp.

AAA Handsome Wholesale: You peeping at your father?

He Aotian: Why would I need to peep?

He Aotian: Shared Post: ‘OMG, who is that melancholic god under the boys’ dorm? So handsome and brooding.

Wen Huihan clicked the link. It was a forum post with a photo of him dragging his suitcase in circles like a confused puppy.

So embarrassing.

His scalp tingled with shame. He Chenshuang was clearly using this post to mock him. Truly insidious.

He Aotian: Melancholic God.

He Aotian: Bring me a bottle of water when you come up, ‘God.’

Wen Huihan gnashed his teeth. A provocation! This is a blatant provocation!

The protagonist was already showing his hostile intent. As the only villain capable of standing against him, how could Wen Huihan retreat now?

It was a shame the universe gave him the eyes to see the truth but didn’t give him a System to fight back. How was a regular guy supposed to beat the “Son of Heaven”?

Why can’t I have a System? he thought. Even a ‘Lower Others’ Intelligence’ System would work. I’d drop He Chenshuang’s IQ by ten thousand percent and keep mine the same. Then, while he spent his days drooling and being an idiot, I’d still take care of him like a good bro.

See? I’m still too kind. I need to fix that.

He couldn’t hesitate any longer. Wen Huihan gripped the handle of his suitcase and marched toward the entrance.

A new challenge had appeared. If he had to be a villain, he’d be the best one there was!

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