After the Sickly Beauty Was Coveted by His Nemesis

【Sweet-faced, scheming sickly beauty vs. ruthless, possessive, fiercely protective heir】 Jiang Zhaohua died on the day of the first snowfall. He was the Jiang family's adopted son. Everyone in the capital knew they had raised him only to help them fight for power, and that they had never cared whether he lived or died. Yet he still blindly followed the family's orders, doing everything he could to pave their way. There had never been a place for him in the Jiang family. Outsiders called him a dog the family couldn't get rid of, while the Jiangs treated him like a servant they could order around at will. No one in the capital treated him like a person. Everyone knew that if they gave him what he wanted, he would do anything for them. There was no shortage of people who bullied and toyed with him. For a scrap of information, he would stand in the rain for half a day. To win someone's trust, he wouldn't keep them waiting even in the depths of winter, no matter how lightly he was dressed. All his efforts went unrewarded. Once the Jiang family had secured their position, they thought he was too low-class to be seen in public and switched his medicine. After a lifetime of loyalty, he was left to die alone in his sickbed. When he woke again, the family's young master had gotten into trouble and pushed him forward to take the blame. Standing opposite him was Xie Zhuyue, the heir who had been his adversary for nearly ten years. Xie Zhuyue had always hated his ways and made things difficult for him at every turn. This time, Jiang Zhaohua had no intention of helping the young Jiang master, much less of bowing his head to Xie Zhuyue. The icy wind left him swaying on his feet. He expected a scolding, but instead Xie Zhuyue suddenly stepped forward, pinched the back of his neck, and asked with a sneer, “What, is the Jiang family not even feeding you now? If that's the case, why not come with me? The heir's manor can spare one more mouth to feed.” Jiang Zhaohua took Xie Zhuyue's words as a joke, until Xie Zhuyue came to call and the Jiangs, eager to curry favor with him, couldn't wait to hand Jiang Zhaohua over. Dressed in red, he sat inside the room, his eyes aching from the flickering red candles. Unlike in his previous life, Xie Zhuyue didn't mock or sneer at him. He was gentle with Jiang Zhaohua to an almost unbelievable degree. After being reborn, Jiang Zhaohua realized that Xie Zhuyue wasn't the only one who had changed. He had become strange, too. In his previous life, chronic illness and his cool temperament had kept him from ever having romantic thoughts. Yet in this life, even the slightest teasing left him unable to resist. A few words from Xie Zhuyue were enough to make his whole body burn. He tried hard to hide it, but was still found out. Somehow, the two of them struck a deal: Jiang Zhaohua would serve as Xie Zhuyue's adviser, and Xie Zhuyue would give him what he needed. Eventually, Xie Zhuyue was the first to change his mind. Holding down Jiang Zhaohua's hand as he tugged at his belt, he earnestly advised, “My dear Zhaohua, your health is poor. Keep this up and you'll damage yourself for good.” Jiang Zhaohua frowned. “Can't you keep up?” Xie Zhuyue held back, then held back some more. Even so, he wore Jiang Zhaohua out so badly that the man fell ill for more than half a month. The doctor sighed. “My lord, you need to restrain yourself. At this rate, you'll wear him out completely.” Xie Zhuyue had no way to explain. After seeing the doctor out, he returned to the inner room and looked at Jiang Zhaohua, who hadn't slept at all and was as pale as paper. “Did you hear that? The doctor said we need to show some restraint.” He deliberately stressed the word “restraint.” Jiang Zhaohua's gaze drifted lightly over him. “...Life is short. We should enjoy it while we can.” Xie Zhuyue: “...” My next novel will be Little Dog, Little Dog, a warm, everyday childhood-friends romance. Also coming soon: a xianxia story set in the same kind of ancient world, Demons and Daoists. 【Arrogant, unruly troublemaking junior vs. gifted, icy senior】 Jiang Liuyao was an orphan taken in by the sect. Perhaps they pitied him, because everyone in the sect indulged him. No matter what he did, no one ever spoke harshly to him. He should have been happy, but the unearned affection meant that none of the other children his age in the sect would play with him. That changed when an elder brought back a child. The elder told him, “By seniority, he'll be your junior from now on.” Jiang Liuyao looked at the boy's expressionless face and went over to him. Everyone else had always avoided him, but this boy didn't. “Senior Brother!” Since the boy was older, Jiang Liuyao called him that every chance he got. At last, the lonely child had someone to play with. His senior brother didn't talk much and was always cold-faced, but at least he didn't avoid him. * Jiang Liuyao was very fond of his little senior brother and followed him around all the time. Whenever Jiang Liuyao did something wrong, everyone else would just tell him to forget it. Only Ling Guanxue would put on a stern face and say, word for word, “Yao'er, you mustn't.” Jiang Liuyao would pretend not to understand. “Why not? The elders all say it's fine.” Ling Guanxue would sigh. He had no right to discipline Jiang Liuyao, but he worried too much and didn't know how to explain it. All he could say was, “Your senior brother doesn't want to see you like this.” Whenever he said that, Jiang Liuyao would beam and reply, “If that's what Senior Brother says, then I'll listen. I like you, after all.” * Later, the two of them took different paths. When the righteous sects surrounded Jiang Liuyao, he stood in the middle of the crowd without the slightest sign of panic. Jiang Liuyao was waiting for someone, someone who would take him away or end his life with their own hands. Ling Guanxue did come, and he took him away. Jiang Liuyao sneered. “Should I call you Immortal Lord Ling, or Senior Brother?” He was ready to fight to the death, but Ling Guanxue suddenly covered his mouth. A startling red seeped between his fingers. * The whole world was waiting for Ling Guanxue to make a move against Jiang Liuyao, but no one knew that on that chaotic night, Ling Guanxue had been the one to let him go. “Go. Don't come back.” “I'm not leaving!” Jiang Liuyao refused to go. He had nowhere else to turn. Why should he have to leave? He hadn't done anything wrong. His senior brother knew perfectly well that he hadn't committed any massacre, either. “No one will believe you.” Jiang Liuyao wanted to say that it was enough if Ling Guanxue believed him. But before he could speak, the sword he had personally given Ling Guanxue pierced his golden core. Jiang Liuyao was abandoned in the snow. The falling flakes quickly buried him. He refused to leave. He couldn't believe the senior brother who had always protected him would abandon him. Even after he fainted, Jiang Liuyao never saw his senior brother again. He never knew that the person he had longed for so desperately left only after Jiang Liuyao had been taken away, his clothes covered in snow, leaving a trail of red behind. Theme: Love others and yourself.