[Sex first, love later]
Everyone says Shen Qingyu is the most beautiful man in the capital, the most powerful minister in the Great Yong, and a treacherous official who delights in persecuting loyal subjects.
But no one knows he is afflicted with a strange poison, suffering from a chronic illness that cannot be cured, and nearing death.
The imperial physician says the only way to prolong his life is to be intimate with someone of the Wu Li people, whose bloodline is special.
But the Wu Li were wiped out long ago, and only one person with their blood remains: Xie Zheng, the Great General Who Guards the Nation, and the loyal subject Shen Qingyu has persecuted most ruthlessly. Half his blood is Wu Li.
Shen Qingyu: ...Please just bring me a cup of poisoned wine so I can drink it and be done with this. Thanks.
When he sees the poisoned wine actually brought to him, he suddenly changes his mind.
No! How can I die before Xie Zheng?
So he swallows his pride and begins planning how to get close to Xie Zheng, in a way that seems reasonable, goes unnoticed, and leaves no trace.
*
Xie Zheng feels as if something unclean has latched onto him.
The first time is at a palace banquet. Though he can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, he inexplicably loses his senses. Half asleep and half awake, he feels a cool body press against him.
The second time is in his study. He loses consciousness for no apparent reason, and when he wakes, a lingering warmth and a soft, delicate touch remain in his arms.
The third time, he wakes up early.
In the hazy moonlight, he can just make out a small patch of jade-white skin moving in front of him.
What kind of demon or ghost dares to climb into his bed?
Furious, Xie Zheng decides to kill the intruder on the spot.
He clamps both hands around the slender, fragile neck, about to squeeze
Wait.
How could it be Shen Qingyu, the man who has always treated him like a dog?
*
Shen Qingyu can't believe his luck. To make absolutely sure his plan would work, he had scouted the place beforehand and laid everything out carefully. To be extra safe, he even gave Xie Zheng twice the usual dose of sleeping drugs, yet somehow he still got caught red-handed.
He has been tricking Xie Zheng since they were children, but this time his plan has backfired. He's definitely in for it!
But then Xie Zheng, who once hated him to the bone, starts acting strangely. Not only does he take the initiative to kiss Shen Qingyu on the mouth and nibble at his neck, he even asks, looking utterly foolish, whether Shen Qingyu is in love with him.
Shen Qingyu is overjoyed.
This silly dog hasn't misunderstood something, has he?
Well, that's even better. He'll play along, pretend to return Xie Zheng's feelings, and slip away under cover of night once the poison is cured, leaving Xie Zheng to cool his heels wherever he likes.
Shen Qingyu thinks it, and that's exactly what he does. He spends months pretending to be passionately in love with Xie Zheng, perfectly at ease with the deception. When the time is right, he successfully fakes his death and gets away, changing his name and settling into a peaceful life.
But he never expected Xie Zheng to find him.
When the whole truth comes out, he assumes Xie Zheng will hate him and try to kill him on the spot.
But Xie Zheng does nothing.
The bright moon hangs high above the silent mansion in the depths of the night. A pair of strong arms clamp tightly around his waist.
“You lied to me? Used me?”
Xie Zheng's hand slides down his waistline and lightly pinches the soft flesh at Shen Qingyu's side. Even through the thin shirt, he can feel Shen Qingyu's body suddenly tremble. His bones seem to melt, and he slumps against Xie Zheng's shoulder as if he can no longer hold himself up.
Xie Zheng presses his lips to Shen Qingyu's ear, his voice low and husky:
“Then why does Lord Shen's waist go soft the moment I touch it?”
Written on June 30, 2026
Theme: Live well
