Daylight Aflame

In the distant future, people are born into a rigid hierarchy. Chen Yu, born in the lower city, is considered one of the lowest of the low.

Perhaps she's naturally optimistic, or perhaps she's never seen the splendor of the outside world.

Chen Yu thinks it's nice enough to live freely in the lower city.

That is, until one night beneath a quiet moon, in a filthy alley, she meets a man who's covered in blood but still smiles gently at her.

As if possessed, Chen Yu takes him back to her little home in the basement.

She learns his name: Zhou Jingbai.

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Born a heaven-blessed genius, Zhou Jingbai is a snow-white, razor-sharp blade, with the sole goal of unifying the empire.

But after being betrayed, he falls from the heights and has no choice but to hide in the lower city he despises.

The air in its filthy alleys reeks of smells that turn his stomach. So when he hears the very light footsteps of a woman approaching,

he endures his pain, lifts his head slightly toward the moonlight, and gives her a gentle smile.

Seeing the astonishment in her eyes, Zhou Jingbai feels contempt and disgust, but his smile deepens.

Just as expected, he gets what he wants: the woman takes him home, where he enjoys the gift of her true love.

But in Zhou Jingbai's eyes, the love of someone from the lowest class is trash. She isn't worthy of loving him.

So when he returns to the heights, he feels no remorse as he grips her chin and forcefully pours a memory-disordering drug down her throat while she screams and struggles.

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Chen Yu develops a memory disorder. In the dead of night, her mind fills with painful, chaotic memories.

During her treatment, she grows attached to her gentle attending physician and accepts his proposal.

But at the wedding banquet, when Chen Yu sees a strange man seated among the guests, her condition flares up. She trembles and screams uncontrollably.

In a single night, the wedding is ruined.

Amid the guests' laughter, the man walks toward her step by step, his smile gentle but his gaze as cold as a blade. "Getting married? Did I give you permission?"

With her memories restored, Chen Yu weeps. "Zhou Jingbai, please, let me go."

Reader's guide:

1. A story about the farmer and the snake. The male lead is a total jerk, an enormous jerk, an especially terrible jerk. You can curse him, but don't curse me. I'm scared.

2. The blurb has been screenshotted. Don't copy the premise and pick a fight. This is a spontaneous, stream-of-consciousness piece. The subject matter is unusual, so I'm writing it for love of the genre. If it's not for you, don't read it.

3. The setting is a futuristic sci-fi era. Don't relate it to reality.

Theme: Be a loving person