Concealing One's Edge

Have you ever heard of skin changing?

The knife handle slides down the spine, splitting open the skin. It peels away, leaving the flesh beneath exposed to the air. Another skin is put on, fitted snugly, and sewn into place.

Open your eyes again, and you have a new body, a new identity.

Before his wings were clipped, he was Xiao Mu, the mighty general of the prosperous state of Fu.

The next thing he knew, he was the crown prince of a frail border state. With the neighboring countries invading, he had no choice but to rise up and fight back.

Little did he know, this was exactly what the enemy wanted!

"I am Xie Jinheng, crown prince of Pingle. A pleasure to meet you!"

"Wen Yu, crown prince of Anxu."

"Young Master Wen, I heard you once faced a hundred soldiers alone. Such courage! Why don't we travel together?"

"That's merely a tale people tell. You're giving me too much credit."

Is the person who appears at just the right moment a friend or a foe?

Is the hand suddenly offered under threats and temptation a blessing or a curse?

An unexpected approach, a falsified identity, ambitions advanced at every turn...

All of it is no more than one of his chess pieces.

"A Yu, I only wanted you to be closer to me. I did nothing wrong!"

"Xie Jinheng, the love you keep talking about is truly so cold..."

A twisted, heart-wrenching love is the most painful of all...

Note: Xie Jinheng's personality becomes somewhat extreme later on. At first, he is deranged and manipulative, but gradually develops feelings. Later, he becomes obsessive and targets Wen Yu relentlessly.

A friendly reminder: This story is entirely fictional. Please do not associate it with reality.

Theme: The things of this world may be beautiful, but we still have to seize our own opportunities. No one can be trusted. The only path worth trusting is the future we forge for ourselves.