In their previous life, they were bitter enemies evenly matched in every way
Yan Shang, the fourth son of the Duke of Rong, was gentle and refined, brilliantly talented, yet frail and chronically ill. Everyone praised his noble, moonlit grace, never realizing that with every move of his pieces, he had already calculated the world's shifting tides.
Shen Zhizhi, a member of the imperial family whose maternal relatives held little influence, was short on power and allies. But who knew that beneath his unremarkable exterior lay an emperor's ambition, quietly biding its time for years?
They fought for half their lives: one plotted to seize the throne, the other launched an uprising to restore the kingdom. At last, they crossed swords, and blood stained the golden palace.
When they opened their eyes again, they had both returned to the years before they ever knew each other.
In this life, Yan Shang was still the frail, beautiful scholar with the grace of moonlight: proper and upright in public, smiling as he moved his pieces in private.
Shen Zhizhi was still the idle prince in name only, seemingly carefree, while beneath the surface he harbored an ambition steeped in poison.
But fate brought them together ahead of time, and as they tested each other with open hostility, both ended up having their covers blown
Yan Shang discovered that the ruthless, solitary prince from his previous life was as obedient as a dog in his presence.
Shen Zhizhi realized that the frail young man of moonlit grace was even more ruthless than he was behind closed doors.
From imagined archenemies to allies by contract, from open hostility to exposing each other's true selves and playing along
They'd promised to fight to the death, so how did playing their parts turn into an all-consuming affair and mutual unrequited love?!
“Your Highness, why are you staring at me like that? Are you thinking of killing me?”
“You think too much, Heir. I merely... think you look familiar.”
One round of probing, two lifetimes entangled.
In this life, are they enemies? Friends? Or...
Beloveds?
Both reborn × enemies-to-lovers × frail beauty receiving love × loyal younger man pursuing him
Some plots are not connected very smoothly, and there are slight discrepancies between them.