A Fleeting Life

Before he was reborn, Shen Banxi was a treacherous minister, willing to become the emperor’s weapon against the great clans if it meant staying alive. The great clans watched him like hawks. The lover who had once stood by his side drifted further and further away. In the end, he became a pawn to be discarded once he had served his purpose, left utterly alone and banished by the emperor to a place far from the center of power. By the time Shen Banxi became a traitorous minister, he had already been poisoned by an incurable toxin. After falling out with the only person in the world he had ever loved, he had little attachment to living a long life. Just as he was preparing to spend his remaining days in a tiny corner of the world, his former lover became a regicidal rebel. * Yan Wumei first met Shen Banxi on the battlefield. Yan burned his own provisions, while Shen shot down his battle standard with a single arrow. They traded blows back and forth, and Yan Wumei, who had never lost a battle, suffered his first defeat at Shen Banxi’s hands. An imperial decree arrived from the capital, and Yan Wumei was framed as a traitor. Shen Banxi, his sworn enemy, came to his rescue. From then on, Yan could never forget him; he was always on his mind. Later, when their lost territory was reclaimed, Shen Banxi should have been executed for treason. Yan Wumei risked his life to protect him. They vowed to grow old together, and Yan Wumei promised he would never betray him in this life. But fate gave them too little time... * After being reborn, everything returned to the beginning. With no memories, Shen Banxi was once again a stable hand in the Prince of Luling’s residence, a humble commoner of little consequence. He thought he would spend his whole life working from sunrise to sunset, day after day. Then one day, the great general Yan Wumei, whose name struck terror into the enemy forces at the border, found him. With boundless tenderness and careful affection, Yan brought him home... A top who looks like trouble but can’t be proven guilty VS a bottom who thinks he’s perfectly well-behaved but absolutely isn’t Warnings: 1. Alternate-universe setting, happy ending. 2. The couple are both shrewd in everyday life, but would give everything for each other. They love each other desperately, are utterly captivated and deeply devoted, and are extremely, extremely lovestruck! 3. This is a rebirth story. Two sections set in their previous lives are told in flashbacks. The top remembers everything from his past life; the bottom will regain his memories later. Their previous life ends in tragedy, but their present life is pure sweetness, with no angst! 4. The author is illiterate, so please don’t scrutinize the logic or writing. Theme: Take your fate into your own hands.