The Snake Pursues the Bird

Complete.

Cheng Xiaoshu was born into a family of wealth and status, yet he was a notorious rich playboy in the capital, someone everyone both loathed and feared.

He was domineering, idle, and extravagant, spending his days walking his birds, riding horses, and stirring up trouble. His parents and brothers doted on him, though, so he always got whatever he wanted.

Then he fell for the illegitimate son of a minor official in the Ministry of Rites.

The young man was handsome and refined, with a gift for poetry, but his heart already belonged to someone else. He repeatedly ignored Cheng Xiaoshu's attentions and flattery, leaving Cheng Xiaoshu embarrassed time and again and giving everyone a good laugh.

Then, through a twist of fate, the two unexpectedly slept together.

The young man's reputation was ruined, and under pressure from Cheng Xiaoshu's family, he was ultimately forced to marry Cheng Xiaoshu.

Ying Yiwu had always admired the poetic talent of the one he loved, and instinctively despised the playboy's ignorance and lack of ambition.

He had no idea what the playboy saw in him. The man clung to him like a stubborn plaster, refusing to let go no matter what Ying Yiwu did.

But three cups of wine sealed his fate. Ying Yiwu could only accept what had happened, and from then on shared a bed with the playboy day and night, always at his side.

Yet this life was... remarkably different from what he had imagined.

Ying Yiwu loved poetry and could not forget the one he loved, so the playboy sought out countless rare books and lazily read him poems by his beloved before bed.

Ying Yiwu was born poor and treated with contempt, so the playboy, wearing his handsome scowl, brushed aside the weight of worldly prejudice and led him away as if it were nothing.

Ying Yiwu remained dissatisfied and deliberately humiliated him. The playboy grumbled and cursed, yet willingly became Ying Yiwu's personal foot-wiping cloth of a husband.

Ying Yiwu disliked his idleness, so the playboy took up a bow and easily brought down countless prizes. The young man's carefree, proud smile as he looked at Ying Yiwu, blood spattered across his face, made Ying Yiwu's heart skip a beat

But even when he received the playboy's death notice, he still could not understand how to make sense of these feelings.

After faking his death, Cheng Xiaoshu had a rare fit of kindness and decided to act like a decent person for once. He did everything he could to bring his widow together with the man she loved, hoping Ying Yiwu would get his wish.

Then he saw his widow avoid the attentions of her former beloved, clutching an old garment that even Cheng Xiaoshu had nearly forgotten, curled up alone in a corner and weeping with grief.

Cheng Xiaoshu: ???

A cruel, vile, domineering playboy gong x an aloof, unlucky, slow-witted shou like a clinging vine

Gong's perspective. Marriage first, love later. Old-fashioned, shamelessly clichéd, and full of hateful feudal conventions, with absolutely no logic. They have a child. The plot is a complete mess; everything serves the romance.

I drew the character cards myself, and my art is clumsy. Please believe that the real characters are 1,000 times, 1,000 times more handsome than my drawings!

Currently serializing: I'm Just an Honest Man

(Dual perspectives, a commoner's rise to power emperor gong and a charming, scheming beauty shou)

Next book:

The General Says He Loves Me and Is Devoted to Me. I Believed Him.

"A Straight Man's Single Tear, Enough to Break My Heart" (sweet romance, self-delusion)

Lou Kaiyun was utterly loyal, but he commanded a powerful army and had an outstanding record of military service. So the emperor did not trust him, and the whole court thought it was only a matter of time before he rebelled.

So Lou Kaiyun obeyed the imperial summons and returned to the capital. He voluntarily gave up his military command, frequently showed concern for the emperor, and, on the advice of his strategists, pored over ancient texts in frustration, determined to write a memorial himself and express his loyalty to the emperor.

Since he could barely understand the flowery language of civil officials, Lou Kaiyun simply copied any lines that seemed heartfelt to him. Gathering the best of the ancients, he pieced together and edited a letter before submitting it.

The next day at court, he noticed the emperor looking at him strangely.

At last, His Majesty was reassured by his declaration. Lou Kaiyun avoided the emperor's gaze, hurriedly lowering his head to suppress a smile. All that reading and revising through the night had paid off!

Yes, he was a cautious and proper minister through and through.

The general commands the army and has too many military achievements. I cannot allow him to remain in power.

But he actually sent me a love letter. The wording was affected, but his feelings seemed profound. He said he was smitten with me and would never change, and that he was determined never to marry, devoting his whole life to me.

...Absurd. I don't believe it!

So I watched the general.

Whenever he saw me, he could barely keep from smiling with delight, yet he never looked up at me. He must be embarrassed.

Sometimes I even made surprise visits.

He laughed and chatted with others, but the moment I arrived, he immediately became serious and proper, flustered and fumbling. He must have lost his composure because he was in the presence of the one he loves.

Another time, still unable to make sense of it all, I pretended to fall ill late at night and summoned him to the palace to attend me. He hurried over, travel-worn and grave, yet somehow especially handsome, and cared for me in every detail. Sigh, he must have been terribly worried because I don't take care of my health.

He also treated me with the utmost respect. When I invited him to stay the night, he looked astonished and repeatedly backed away, stammering that he wouldn't dare.

Of course. I only said that out of guilt. I didn't really want him to stay.

But the general said he was smitten with me and would never change, and I believed him.

Convinced that the emperor's suspicions had finally faded and relations between sovereign and subject were harmonious, Lou Kaiyun went about his days at ease. He appeared conscientious in public and painted beauties in private, until the emperor summoned him to the palace once again

A slender, pale hand tentatively settled in his palm, then casually rubbed against his hand, rough with sword-calluses. The emperor's expression remained calm. "Though I don't love you, I can honor your devotion. How would you like to be empress?"

Lou Kaiyun: ...

The emperor smiled faintly.

Yes, he was surprised and shy again.

*The beauty he paints is the emperor.

*One-on-one romance, around 150,000 Chinese characters, pure fluffy sweetness (I promise, paws raised).

A doglike howl asking everyone to add this to their collections~

Theme: Listen to yourself with your heart