"Have a safe journey, Dr. Ren," said Dr. Louise, a tall, leggy blonde who looked like she'd just walked off the ramp in a high-end fashion show in Paris or Milan - when, in fact, she was one of the top psychiatrists in the world, and more talented than most doctors twice her age.
She was also the woman Ren's parents wanted him to marry. And this is exactly why Ren had been sent to New York to attend the medical conference his father was supposed to attend.
Unfortunately for Ren's parents, Ren batted for the other team and his type was exclusively male and brainy. He had no interest in women, no matter how attractive. Fortunately for him, Dr. Louise already had someone she liked, so they became friends instead. Ren was quite impressed with Dr. Louise and her work, and he looked forward to collaborate with her in the future.
So, overall, Ren was quite pleased when Dr. Louise dropped him off at the JFK airport for his transatlantic flight back home.
He was mildly annoyed with his parents and their constant attempts to find him a suitable girl. He was only twenty seven and exclusively gay, but he was also the only heir to two significant legacies - an international chain of hospitals and medical research companies from his father's side of the family, and a secret magicians guild practising the lost arts from ancient times from his mother's side. He had no siblings, so he had been trained by both sides since he was a baby. Ren had no complaints, though. He was a prodigy, so it wasn't long before he learnt everything he needed to and began to help his parents. The only thing that still remained was having a child of his own. His parents didn't really mind his sexuality. All they wanted was for him to have a suitable partner and a child. According to his mother, adoption wouldn't work for the magic guild because his magic powers came from his bloodline. Ren knew this, and he had prepared for surrogacy already. He had just learnt from his assistant that two of them were successful; that should pacify his parents...and Ren could now take his own sweet time to find a man he liked.
After check in and security, Ren stopped by a bookstore on his way to the lounge. It was quite usual for him to read on long flights. He picked up the new crime thriller from his favourite author, the autobiography of a senior doctor he admired very much, and a couple of other books recommended by his friends. As he walked towards the counter, a title caught his attention.
"The Trials of Ren" was written in bold red on the cover, and the dark silhouette of a man by a window was the background.
It is natural for humans to be interested in things which bear their name. Ren's curiosity was piqued and he added the book to his pile. He didn't notice the strange look in the shop assistant's eyes at all.
Three hours later, Ren put down the finished book and restrained himself from groaning out loud. If he hadn't been in an airplane, he would have flung the book away and cursed out loud. What kind of nonsensical melodrama was this?! Why on earth was the book called "The Trials of Ren" when the Ren in the book was a despicable villain whose overall appearance in the book was about 10% of the total?! This Ren was the worst sort of man who had nothing better to do than torture his little brother's boyfriend (who was miserable enough as it is) despite being the CEO of a multinational company! He even had dealings with the underworld! Worse still, he insisted on interfering with his little brother's life though he'd been disinherited by his parents long ago and the whole family hated him! But the villain cherished his little brother very much, and wreaked havoc on anyone who got too close to the boy. Ultimately, he was killed off by the brother's final boyfriend - and then they got married, danced on his grave and lived happily ever after. So the little brother was the protagonist, the final boyfriend with a tragic backstory was the male lead and Ren was the villain who appeared in less than fifty pages out of the five hundred of the entire novel. Could someone explain why the book was named after this poor villain with inadequate visibility and obnoxious character?!
Nettled, Ren leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He was tired anyway and a short nap would be refreshing. He'd start on the crime thriller once he woke up.
That's what Ren intended, anyway.
What actually happened was something he hadn't even imagined in his dreams!!
Ren's consciousness stirred slowly at the insistent call of "Master Ren!" by several panicked voices.
It had been many years since anyone called him that, Ren thought groggily.
The next thought that hit him was that he ached. Everywhere. It felt like he'd been run over by a heavy vehicle.
But wait - wasn't he flying?
How strange! He couldn't possibly get injured like this on an airplane, could he?
So...did the plane crash? Maybe he was rescued and fell into a coma.
Ren's nose twitched. Yes, that disinfectant-like smell could only belong to a hospital.
He opened his eyes slowly.
A sea of unfamiliar faces greeted him.
Ren blinked, surprised. He couldn't recognise a single person in the room, nor could he recognise the hospital he was in...but it was a hospital, and an expensive one, given the luxurious surroundings and the top-of-the-line equipment. Not one of his hospitals; he knew all of them like the back of his hand.
He glanced at the man closest to him - a handsome, middle-aged man with the gentle bearing of a doctor.
"Master Ren, how do you feel?" the man asked nervously.
"I suppose I'll live," Ren replied, smiling slightly. "How long have I been here? Were my parents notified? I'd like to see them right away and then we can discuss my diagnosis together."
The shock on the faces of the people in the room unsettled him.
An old man dressed like a butler stepped forward. "Master Ren...do you remember what happened?" he asked softly.
Ren shook his head. "Wasn't I on a flight back home? I think I fell asleep on the plane. Then it's all blank. What happened? Where am I?"
The old man had tears in his eyes. "Master Ren...you..."
"You are in Cosmopolis," the doctor said flatly. "The date is April 15, 2021. Your parents disinherited you five years ago. You were attacked by the Spider Gang one week ago. A bullet grazed your left shoulder before your car fell off the cliff near Zenith City."
Ren stared at the man in shock as the familiar words washed over him... hadn't he read this scene in that infernal book before he fell asleep...? Could it be that he was immersed in a very realistic dream...?
Ren pinched himself hard and concluded that he was indeed awake. Had he somehow entered the book...? And if he was being called "Master Ren"...then...
An ominous premonition rose in his heart.
He eyed the two men who had spoken, trying to match their appearance with descriptions in the book.
"Dr. Gordon? Steward Paul?" he called quietly.
The two men brightened immediately.
The dread in the pit of Ren's stomach almost solidified. "Is...is Pax all right? He saved me, didn't he...?"
Pax was all-purpose assistant/bodyguard of Ren-the-villain in "The Trials of Ren".
Dr. Gordon smiled. "Pax is injured, but he will recover soon."
Everyone else looked rather relieved.
Ren sighed and closed his eyes. He seemed to have transmigrated into that idiotic dog blood drama he'd just read, as the eponymous villainous character!
I've never even committed a minor offence before, Ren thought to himself, and now I'm a...villain?!
Two months later, Ren had fully assimilated into his new character. After all, this Ren was only a twenty year old brat - managing his little company and dealing with the puny mafia was nothing to the experienced Dr. Ren! The entire Spider Gang was now rotting in jail, and the company's valuation had already risen twofold. Ren was now looking to diversify into medical research and hospitals - after all, that was his expertise. Negotiations were going well, and he would be inaugurating the first hospital in a few days.
Initially, Ren had been worried about the consequences of acting unlike the original villain. However, his worries were soon dispelled. No matter what he did, no matter how unlike a villain he acted, nothing happened. He even secretly funded an orphanage and sent all the children there to a reputed school without any repercussions.
This orphanage was the one where the Male Lead grew up. The book had mentioned that a kind-hearted investor had suddenly decided to fund the education of the orphans. Ren took over that role smoothly and was fully convinced that he could do as he wished.
Ren was an optimistic person in general. He realised soon enough that he couldn't return to his original world. He missed his parents, but there was nothing he could do about it. So he devoted himself to his current life while continuing the search for a way back on the side.
His magic powers were intact, though, and this was very helpful for him. There didn't seem to be a magic guild in this world so far, so he could only keep his powers hidden. Ren's intuition told him that the guild existed in this world as well, and his return to his home world depended on them. For now, he could only keep his eyes and ears open.
Overall, Ren wasn't particularly dissatisfied with his current life, he thought as he watched the urban scenery passing by
"Master Ren, we will be driving by your favourite bakery. Would you like to stop for a bite?" Pax's voice broke through Ren's idle thoughts.
"Sure," Ren replied. Maybe he should pick up a bunch of pastries for everyone. Villain Ren had excellent subordinates and servants around him, and Dr. Ren appreciated them very much and already considered them as his own people. And he'd definitely treat his people well.
The luxurious sedan pulled to a stop in front of a bakery a few minutes later. A light drizzle sprayed over Ren as he alighted from the car and entered the bakery. The shop owner came over with a big smile as soon as she saw him.
"Welcome, Master Ren," she greeted.
"Thanks, Mrs. Li," Ren said. "I'd like to treat all my people today - what would you recommend?"
Mrs. Li glowed with happiness and half an hour later, Ren's car was filled with a huge pile of pastry boxes.
Pleased with himself, Ren stepped out of the shop. A muffled thud caught his attention and he walked towards the sound. Pax hurried after him.
A drenched young beggar sat in the corner of the alley next to the bakery. A few men surrounded him. The earlier sound was probably one of them kicking the beggar.
"No beggars are allowed in this lane," said a young man - probably the ringleader of this neighborhood gang - haughtily.
"I'm not a beggar," came a hoarse voice. "I was just resting here for a bit."
Ren frowned. That tone of voice clearly showed a serious infection.
The gang of men jeered.
"Look at those clothes - you still dare to claim you're not a beggar?!"
"Get lost, you worthless creature!"
"Go die somewhere; don't dirty our eyes!"
The poor creature simply bowed his head and said nothing.
A wave of pity washed over Ren. He cleared his throat loudly and strode forward.
"There you are," he announced, throwing an arm around the young beggar's shoulders. "Why did you run off in the middle of filming? Look how drenched you are. What will we do if you fall ill?"
The boy looked up at him, startled. Ren felt a sense of familiarity, but he couldn't remember seeing this boy before.
Pax, very efficiently, sent away the gang.
"Thank you," the boy said gratefully. "I'm really not a beggar."
"I know," Ren said gently. " You don't even have a bowl, and a proper beggar wouldn't hide in a corner like this."
The boy's lips trembled.
"Come, I'll drop you home," Ren offered, ignoring Pax's horrified look. "Where do you live? You look a bit ill, shall I take you to a hospital first?"
The boy shook his head.
The feeling of familiarity grew stronger, even though Ren was sure he'd never seen this boy before. He looked about thirteen or fourteen - and he'd have remembered those unusual purple eyes.
Wait...purple eyes?!
Wasn't that the defining characteristic of the Male Lead?! And wasn't the Male Lead supposed to be sixteen?! What was with this malnourished runt? Where was seedling for the six feet three inches tall, handsome man he was supposed to grow into...?
This was too pitiful.
"You look a little familiar..." Ren said hesitantly. He needed to confirm the identity of this child immediately. "Are you from... Orchid Orphanage?"
The boy shivered and evaded his eyes. He nodded.
Ren frowned and looked at his watch. "Shouldn't you be in school at this hour? Why are you here? Your school is in a completely different part of town."
The boy backed away, terrified. "Who...who are you? How can you possibly know that?!" he cried.
"Of course he knows," Pax spoke up. "Master Ren is the one who sponsored the education of all the children at Orchid Orphanage."
The boy clung to the alley wall, shaking all over. "I...I..."
Ren sighed and held out his hand. "You're...Fang, right? Come on, let's get you to a hospital first."
"No, I...I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I...I..." the boy shrank away like an injured animal and then fainted abruptly.
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