The Protagonist was not him’Darcy Edwood was the protagonist of this world, and he, Micah Ramsy, was just the vicious fake young master.’

The moment this thought flooded Micah’s mind, he regained consciousness. However, before he could open his eyes and realise where he was, a sharp pain shot through his skull. His entire body felt like it had been struck by a truck, and the dull ache in his head throbbed painfully.

His fingers touched the cool rough sheets as his nose was filled with an intense disinfected smell, making his already chaotic head feel even heavier.

He tried to lift his heavy eyelids, desperately wanting to escape from those incomprehensible memories that did not belong to him. Yet, the jumbled information was stuck in his mind, causing his head to feel swollen and sore.

Micah Ramsy had been out drinking with a group of classmates, celebrating his university acceptance. He remembered the teasing of those so-called friends urging him to confess, otherwise, he would have to take shots. Being hot-headed and impulsive, Micah had drowned in too much alcohol. His head became dizzy, his ears ringing, and in a moment of imbalance, his foot had slipped, causing his body to tilt forward before his head made brutal contact with the edge of the table.

It was a total embarrassment that he had lost conscience just for that. He could guess what had happened after that. For sure, his friends fearing they would be held accountable for his fall, probably in a frenzy, had called an ambulance and sent him to the hospital.

What made Micah dazed was not related to the incident but the dream he had.

After his vision turned dark, the next thing he knew, he was standing in front of a book.

Not just any book.

A cliche, dog-blooded danmei where the real young master, Darcy Edwood, was the dazzling protagonist, the sweetheart of all, and he, Micah Ramsy, was nothing more than a pathetic vicious fake heir, a clown jumping up and down, desperately competing with the protagonist to inherit the company, and monopolise the family affection!

What the hell?!!

He was in a book!

Worst of all, he was the vicious fake young master!

Had he lost his mind?

Just a while ago, he had been laughing, carefree, his future full of possibilities, then in a second, he had to accept that his life was a joke.

His stomach twisted in discomfort, bile rising in his throat. In the dream, he skimmed through the book, seeing himself scheming, plotting and throwing tantrums, only to end up humiliated time and time again.

But the most heartbreaking part?

It wasn’t even the real young master, Darcy, who ruined him in the end. No, it was those ruthless big shots!

The ones who were all hopelessly in love with the protagonist. They had crushed him under their heels like a worthless ant, trying to show their affection by exterminating him! He was not even worth appearing in more than one-third of the book in the eyes of the author. In the end, he was stripped of his wealth, his dignity and even his identity, he exited the story as if he were trash, worthy only of being thrown out.

Alone... penniless... cursed by the family and netizens.

"Bullshit!"

The furious cry echoed in the room as Micah abruptly sat up in the bed, enraged.

"What did you say?!"

The deep, familiar voice sent a shiver down his spine.

Micah’s furious expression cracked as he turned his head, his gaze landing on the imposing figure standing by the hospital bed.

"Grandpa?!"

Micah’s voice died down as he found the old man glaring at him.

The head of the Ramsy family, Albert Ramsy, was a legendary tycoon, feared by young and old alike. Even at nearly seventy, he stood tall with his back straight, while his broad shoulders and huge physique made his presence more suffocating. His thick, furrowed eyebrows framed his piercing black eyes. Just one look could make anyone tremble. He always wore an expression filled with cold discipline and authority.

In addition to his stern exterior, Albert Ramsy had a strong moral compass.

Not that Micah was aware of it until he read the book. The only person who did not give up on him and tried to correct his wrongdoings in the book was his grandfather.

Micah felt both respect and fear towards his grandfather.

Well, who was he kidding? It was mostly fear!

As the only son of Jacob Ramsy and Elina Palmer, Micah should have been groomed as the rightful heir to the Ramsy empire. But even before the truth about the baby swap was revealed, everyone, even Micah, knew he was unfit for the role.

It wasn’t that his grandfather had not tried to mould him into one, but Micah’s personality was the total opposite of what was needed to inherit the company.

Micah had been always reckless, impulsive and short-tempered. He spoke before thinking, acted on emotions rather than logic, and made enemies faster than he could count. These were three fatal flaws for anyone managing a business empire. The traits that could bankrupt a company in just one day by offending everyone or making wrong decisions.

It was no surprise that his father, Jacob Ramsy, had finally stepped in and shielded him from Albert Ramsy’s relentless discipline two years ago, defending Micah and liberating him from his grandfather’s grip.

Grateful, Micah worked hard to make his father proud. Studying like crazy to be admitted to one of the best universities in the country, albeit his major was art.

Contrary to his wild and unruly image, Micah had a natural talent for fashion and acting. He had always imitated famous anime characters, whether female or male. He even once participated in a major cosplay event, dressed as a she-wolf. But of course, it wasn’t acceptable in his family, so it was all under an alias.

He had dreamed of being a top-tier actor or even a film emperor, not the least concerned about the Ramsy empire.

So, how on earth, in the book, had abandoned all of it to study finance?!

A deliberate cough snapped Micah from his thoughts.

"Sorry Grandpa, did you say something?!"

Micah blinked rapidly, feigning ignorance of his earlier cursing.

"How are you feeling? Your parents are still at the gathering, so I came as soon as the housekeeper received the call."

Albert Ramsy said as he tried to soften his voice, fearing to make his grandson’s situation worse.

The dazed look on his bloodless face and the pitiful red eyes combined with the bandage wrapped around his head would cause anyone to feel sympathy for the young man. Well, if he did not open his foul mouth.

The old man sighed heavily and focused his attention back on the young man.

Micah hesitated, the unexpected warmth in his grandfather’s voice, without any anger or harsh reprimand, had caught him off guard.

Had he ever truly noticed it before? He had always been scared of the old man, too caught up in his own childish pride to see the concern buried beneath his strict demeanour.

"My head throbs a bit, otherwise, I am fine. Sorry to disturb your sleep, Grandpa."

Micah said, hanging his head low.

Albert Ramsy reached out to caress his grandson’s hair, however, he paused, feeling out of place. Usually, He was not the one to show affection so directly. Dropping his hand, he spoke slowly.

"Take some rest. I’ll call the doctor."

With that, Albert Ramsy turned and left the room.

Micah’s grip on the sheets loosened as he heard the sound of the door being closed. He had used all his willpower to appear calm and collected in front of his grandfather, even though he was on the brink of losing his sanity.

He was confused, needed answers, and desperately wanted to prove that all the nonsense mentioned in the book was wrong, just a nightmare.

Yes, before he panicked, before he let this insane dream consume him, he had to investigate the truth about his swap at birth.

SwappedAfter the resident doctor finished checking Micah over and confirmed he was stable for now, Albert Ramsy sighed in relief as the tension in his shoulders loosened.

The incident had given them a huge scare. He had been the closest one to the hospital when they received the call and had rushed over quickly. Now, seeing Micah sitting up and well, the weight pressing against his chest eased.

Pulling out his phone, he quickly sent voice messages to the family group via WeChat, assuring them that Micah was alright.

His son and daughter-in-law had been ready to drop everything and come running, but he had firmly disagreed.

This banquet was held once a year, gathering key figures in business, politics and research in one place, allowing them to make connections efficiently.

He knew how crucial it was for his son and wife to participate tonight.

And besides, he was in the hospital. So, he assured them that nothing would happen to Micah.

Albert put away his phone and turned his gaze to his grandson, who sat stiffly against the hospital pillow, his fingers absently twisting a loose thread on the blanket. All of it showed how nervous he was.

Albert Ramsy could guess the reason.

But before he could open his mouth to ease his grandson’s mind by letting him know that he wouldn’t reprimand him for now, Micah spoke.

"Granpa, you see? I am totally fine. You should head back home. I am worried about Grandma being alone."

Albert’s brows furrowed slightly at the request. Their grandmother, Zhou Ruyan, had always been frail, her weak heart keeping her mostly confined to the specially remodelled house designed for her care.

Albert Ramsy hesitated as he heard Micah’s words.

"Grandpa, please! Go home. There are plenty of nurses and caretakers here in the VIP ward, I will not be in danger or neglected."

Micah urged.

Albert Ramsy looked at his grandson, the sincerity clear in his eyes. He knew his grandson was genuinely worried about his grandmother.

"Alright. But if anything happens, you call me immediately!"

He instructed with a stern voice. Then, he adjusted his coat, cast one last lingering glance at his grandson, and left the room.

Sighing, Micah leaned back against the cold metal frame of the hospital bed. His fingers absently fidgeting with the hem of the blanket.

His mind was far from at ease. The more he processed the new information in his head, the more uncertain he became.

According to the book, when he turned twenty, the hospital where he was born would be shut down. While sorting through the old records, they would uncover a terrible mistake, a case of mix-up.

The initial discovery had been due to a routine check, a blood test matching mother and infant for the need for any Rh antigens vaccine, diagnosing the blood group.

However, when he was again hospitalised for neonatal jaundice ten days later, a second blood test revealed a different blood group entirely. The difference had gone unnoticed at the time, lost amidst the chaos of paper records and the lack of advanced electronic tracking systems.

Micah exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples in annoyance. Who was so idle to look at all the lab results from twenty years ago?! Well, he shouldn’t have high expectations from the author of a dog-blooded novel!

In the book, the hospital had discovered several swapped cases, indicating the deliberate action of one of the nurses. The scandal was too much for the hospital to conceal and was reported by major journals and even national TV. And one of them being the offspring of the Ramsy Empire business, one could picture the uproar the revelation would cause.

Micah grimaced at the thought of being caught off guard like that in front of millions of people, cameras flashing in his face, reporters shoving microphones at him, demanding to know how he felt!

Anyway, by arresting the culprit, the truth came to light. And the Ramsy family began to search for the biological child.

The bright side was Micah had two years until that time to analyze the credibility of the information in the book and make a plan for his future just in case.

First thing first, he had to get a sample from his father, Jacob Ramsy. Hair, saliva, anything would do for a DNA test.

Micah let out a long sigh and sank deeper into the bed, his eyes closed.

The truth was, even before he read the book, a small part of him had always harboured a tiny doubt.

He didn’t want to admit it, but since he was a kid, he had a slight doubt that he was different from the other Ramsy members. His hazel eyes, so different from most of the Ramsy dark eyes, were his first clue. His ability to fold his tongue, a genetic trait unique to him, had been another.

He remembered One time when his mischievous big sister pulled a prank on him, telling him they had picked him up from a trash bin on the roadside. The shock was too severe for him, resulting in a high fever. His parents had been furious with his sister, scolding her harshly. Afterwards, his family pampered him even more, showering him with affection.

But deep down, the doubt lingered. Micah felt a lump forming in his throat. Suppressing his insecurities all these years, he could guess that when, out of the blue, he had gone through a massive identity crisis publicly, his fragile mentality would be shattered. Would he truly become the bitter, vengeful young master who lashed out at his family and tormented the boy who had been robbed of his rightful life?

He exhaled and relaxed his tense muscles. No, his gut told him he wasn’t that kind of person.

He had a big pride, and most of his impulses and hot-tempered actions sprouted from his prideful behaviour. He wasn’t cruel. He had always thought of himself as someone with a strong sense of justice, someone who wouldn’t turn his anger on the innocent. Sure, his mouth did not have a filter and sometimes spouted curses and nonsense, but....

How could he bully the young man whom he had seized his family and wealth for the past twenty years?

How on earth would he compete with him? The idea felt absurd. If anything, he owed the boy an apology for living the life that should have been his.

He knew this blow was too big for him, but he was different from that fake described in the book!

Micah ran a hand through his messy hair, the touch causing a pain to shoot through his head.

"Ouch..."

He grimaced.

Picking up his phone, he began to search for the names he had read in the book. A small part of him was hopeful that there wouldn’t be any result from searching those names. That all of it was just a nightmare.

But the screen on his phone showed the reality he didn’t want to accept.

After a few minutes, he threw the phone away in frustration.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, not at Darcy, or himself, but at the so-called love interest in the book!

Yeah! The most infuriating part was those scum gongs surrounding the protagonist!

In the book, Darcy Edwood was described as a sweet, warm delicate man, a filial son, a person who did his best to fulfil his role as a good son and older brother despite the hardships he had endured. But instead of being cherished, he had been surrounded by ruthless possessive men who claimed to love him while making his life a living hell! How could those big shots torment this sweet young man?

Unknowingly, Micah had formed a soft spot for the protagonist. Even though the Author wrote the story as if the protagonist also had feelings for those MLs, Micah was sure no one had the capacity to fall in love with those scum and psychos! They were toxic and manipulative!

What kind of love was that?!

This was utter nonsense!

He had this massive guilt toward the protagonist. When he was on holiday on some exotic island with his family, the protagonist was working part-time to help his sick mother, preventing her from overworking. When he celebrated his birthday in Disneyland in Paris, the protagonist was helping his grandparents on a farm, sleeping in a harsh cold environment.

The protagonist’s family was complicated. The father had been dead for five years, leaving the protagonist’s mother with her son and daughter without any income. Before that, they had an average income and lived like a normal family. But one day the father had an accident and the mother fell ill as a result of the husband’s departure.

In the book, the mother’s Chronic illness was cured with the help of the Ramsy family and those big shots. Yet the biological son, aka Micah, had never visited the sick mother or the small sister and instead had hindered the mother’s treatment!

What the hell?!

How could he be so heartless?

Yeah, he may have been living a life that wasn’t his, but he would be damned if he let his story follow the same script!

His once pure and innocent mind had been tainted by this novel...Micah had exhausted his few brain cells by overthinking about the plot, and with the lingering ache of his concussion, sleep finally claimed him in the midst of his chaotic thoughts.

The next morning, the gentle hum of conversation in the room disturbed Micah’s deep sleep.

"Mum, look at this! His video was liked by thousands just a few hours from posting!"

A cheerful voice rang out, filled with amusement.

"Let me see. Ahh... my son, even in falling, is handsome!"

A gentle mature voice replied with an unmistakable warmth.

Micah groaned softly, his mind sluggish as he rubbed his eyes, blinking at the two figures seated close together on the sofa, their postures relaxed.

Grabbing His glasses from the bedside, Micah placed them on his face.

"What are you two chatting about first thing in the morning?"

Micah said in a hoarse voice. He felt like he had swallowed sand, his throat dry and uncomfortable.

Elina Palmer, his mother, immediately rose to her feet, her eyes filled with concern. She moved across the room hurriedly and poured a glass of water from the pitcher on the table.

Handing him the glass with both hands, her gaze scanning his face for any signs of discomfort.

"Micah, sweetheart, does anywhere hurt?"

Micah reached out and took the glass. Bringing it to his lips, he took a slow sip, the refreshing liquid soothed his parched throat, making him feel alive again.

He shook his head, implying that he was fine.

"We were talking about your..."

Aria, his second sister, who had been grinning at the phone, walked to the bed and began to reply to his question when Elina nudged her with her elbow sharply, cutting her off.

"It was nothing. We were just reminiscing about the last time you ended up in the hospital, do you remember? You and your cousin made a bet about who could find more crab on the beach, and you both ended up with heatstroke and the worst sunburns imaginable!"

Elina said smoothly, a smile on her lips.

Aria giggled, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she chimed in.

"You looked like charred meat, completely dark and tough! When you went back to school, you scared off your classmates. Especially your little crush, she cried on the spot...."

Micah nearly choked on his water. His face twisted in embarrassment as he remembered the incident. He set the glass down and glared at his sister.

"Mum! Second sister! That was ages ago! I was just eight years old!"

Micah protested in annoyance.

Aria shrugged, "Still, that was the truth..."

Her lips twitched as she fought back another laugh, noticing Micah’s comic expression and burning ears.

Micah groaned and rubbed his face, trying to erase the mental image of his younger cooked self. Wanting to steer the conversation away from his humiliation, Micah remembered his mother’s animated talk about a student.

"Oh, right, Mum, why aren’t you at university today? Didn’t you say you were eager to meet the top scorer of the state and extend an olive branch to him?"

His mother had been singing his praise for a week, describing the genius student’s achievements while her eyes had shone with admiration.

Then, it hit him.

The colour drained from his face.

’The protagonist!’

According to the book’s plot, the first meeting between mother and son was on this occasion when his mother had been full of excitement, eager to recruit the prodigious student into the mathematics world.

Darcy Edwood, like any proper protagonist, in addition to his sunny helpful personality, had a brain on par with Einstein, already winning international Math Olympiads in high school. Even though he had secured an early acceptance into university, he had still taken the college entrance exams and ranked first in the entire state.

His mother’s admiration for Darcy grew as she learned about his dedication to his family’s situation and his mother.

Micah was filled with guilt. He unknowingly had obscured their first reunion by being admitted to the hospital.

Elina Palmer reached out and stroked his white-coloured hair and replied.

"Of course, you are more important. I wanted to come last night but your grandfather didn’t let me, saying you just need to sleep it off. You were so energetic you even cursed in front of him."

Micah let out an awkward laugh. His mind was occupied with how to redeem the situation. He did not want Darcy to miss the chance to cooperate with his mother and afterwards affect his association with Ramsy’s business.

The reason the author had come up with Micah’s villain behaviour was related to Darcy’s high achievements and the praises his parents and sisters had given to Darcy in the past two years before the shocking revelation.

Micah in the book had felt threatened and insecure by the already huge gap between the real young master and himself, so he was driven to be an antagonist.

Micah scoffed inwardly. The author’s logic was really shallow. If anything, the smartest move in this situation would be to separate himself from the conflict. Then, by securing reasonable funding and gaining a higher moral standpoint by giving back his place to the rightful owner, he could maintain his family’s affection and secure a solid reputation, ultimately preventing outsiders from meddling in their family affairs.

Instead, Micah in the novel, had been consumed with jealousy, wasting years running in circles, pursuing a non-realistic dream.

Why should he have thrown away his own ambition, sacrificing his life to be consumed in Ramsy’s empire business? And What was the result? He had lost both his family and himself!

Working nonstop, gaining disdain, compromising his health and wellness...

Micah shuddered.

The novel was truly outrageous.

Even Darcy, the dazzling protagonist, had been reduced to a glorified housewife, living in a golden cage waiting for his husbands.., ten years down the line, the genius sunny young man has turned into an obedient soft-spoken partner to four dominant men who controlled his life.

Micah cringed, recalling that R-19 concept in the book regarding the protagonist Shou and the four Gongs in the mansion...

What was the author thinking?!

More than half of the book portrayed how they bullied the real young master in bed...

Micah tried to block those shameful words from appearing in his head but it was futile. Like a broken tape, those words replayed, making him imagine the scenes vividly in his mind.

He wailed in his head in desperation.

His once pure and innocent mind had been tainted by this novel...

This book deserved to be banned...

Ahh...

Indeed rubbish!