Born Bad, but a Hopeless Romantic

According to his best friend, Liang Ye seemed innocent and harmless, but was actually unscrupulous and scheming.

Liang Ye felt that his friend had softened the description out of consideration for their relationship.

*

In his senior year of high school, Liang Ye suddenly transferred to a private school in a small town.

In that wretched school, the pretty, frail transfer student drew plenty of attention, with applause and flowers coming his way. But the only person Liang Ye was interested in was Zhou, the student the entire school was ostracizing.

The person rumored to have a murder on his conscience, hiding in the darkest corner, was notorious for being someone nobody should mess with.

Overcome by curiosity, Liang Ye began keeping tabs on him from afar, waiting for a chance to make his move. He gradually got closer, and eventually subdued him, winning both his body and his heart and savoring the thrill of conquering a challenge.

But later, he lifted the veil on a decades-old school murder and learned the secret of the person he loved.

Hidden inside the small-town school was a living hell. The place reeked of blood, sweat, and urine. Rows of bare-chested students crouched in a corner while they were inspected. Corporal punishment and psychological abuse were used to beat every possible bad habit out of them, with the aim of remaking them from scratch and giving them a new life.

As an invited guest, Liang Ye had the privilege of viewing this masterpiece. He coolly surveyed rows of human sheep, only to unexpectedly spot his prey.

Zhou Yu stood in the middle of the crowd, his bare body mottled with purple bruises and bloodstains, yet he stubbornly refused to kneel.

Through the rusty, peeling iron gate, he looked at Liang Ye from afar. The light in his eyes slowly faded away.

Rich Cat: gloomy, scheming bottom x Country Dog: househusband-type top

A few friendly warnings:

1. The bottom has a mental illness in the literal, physical sense. He's not quite right in the head, and he's not in great health. He's ruthless toward others and even harsher on himself, with a strong need to control and dominate. His public persona is one he made up himself. He's pretty but loves to lie, and is a different person every day.

2. The top is poor and miserable, and a big, tough guy who can take a beating. He looks like a cold, aloof dude, but is actually a dull-witted, devoted puppy. He studies hard by lamplight, with no golden finger. He's a naturally levelheaded, manly top who knows just how to handle a madman.

Reading guide:

1. One-on-one | Older top | Happy ending

2. Dual POV | Nonlinear timeline with flashbacks | Somewhat of an ensemble cast, with supporting characters getting a bit of page time

3. Slow-paced, slow-paced, slow-paced. Important things must be said three times (rolls around)

4. An unconventional school story | Very dark, not sweet and wholesome at all, and may be depressing

Theme: Grow toward the light