Shattering Mountains and Rivers

Xie Yan, courtesy name Zhong'an.

Twenty-six years old, serving as the Imperial Tutor.

A treacherous minister in the eyes of the court and all its officials, he has disgraced the title of Grand Tutor and betrayed the late emperor's trust.

Only one person defends him against all opposition and keeps him safe.

Gu Mingrong, the late emperor's eleventh younger brother and Prince Regent, holds absolute power and assists the young emperor.

Everyone says he intends to usurp the throne. Only Xie Yan understands that he has no interest in court politics and would rather go to the battlefield.

Xie Yan said, "If there were only one person left in the world willing to give his loyalty to the sovereign, it would be Gu Mingrong."

Gu Mingrong said, "Xie Yan is the world's biggest fool."

Xie Yan has been in poor health since childhood, always carrying the smell of medicine. Gu Mingrong, however, is deeply enamored of that medicinal scent.

With his pointed chin tucked into a fox-fur cloak, Xie Yan reclined on the couch, looking utterly exhausted. A slight swell showed at his waist.

Gu Mingrong hurried in, umbrella in hand. He went to Xie Yan, drew him into his arms, and kissed the tip of his ear. "Was he giving you trouble again today?"

Xie Yan smiled and nestled against him. "He's even more troublesome than you."

Gu Mingrong gently rested a hand on his belly and smiled. "I'll discipline him for you when the time comes."

Content warnings:

1. Pregnancy and childbirth.

2. Lust first, love later (no).

3. A romance behind a thin paper wall (yes).

Reading guide:

1. 50% advance posting protection. Gu Mingrong is the top; Xie Yan is the bottom. Neither is foolish or naive. Their personalities complement each other, and they dote on one another. A top who knows how to act cute has the best life.

2. One-on-one. The couple trust each other completely. Daily updates, sweet, happy ending! (September 13) Please leave a comment instead of letting the chapters pile up, okay? QAQ

[Pre-release: "The Sickly Beauty Master Devoted to the Dao [Reborn]". Please follow! A sweet little story about everyday life together, with love that grows over time.]

Pei Yanqiu is the youngest junior disciple in his sect, aloof and otherworldly, with exceptional talent.

The only problem is that he's blind in both heart and eyes. One day, he dies, losing all his cultivation, and even his core is taken from him. After his death, not even a fragment of his soul remains.

On the verge of death, Pei Yanqiu is consumed by grief as he remembers his wild-grown disciple, Zhao Xuancheng. The boy took a sword strike for him and died by the Demon Lord's blade at only eighteen.

A fortuitous chance from heaven lets him live again. Pei Yanqiu decides to cut himself off from love and desire, devote himself to cultivation, and ignore worldly ties, all while helping his young disciple ascend.

System: "Complete missions to earn points, which can be exchanged for a treasure from the Six Realms that has yet to appear in the world."

To receive the System's cultivation rewards, Pei Yanqiu diligently raises his disciple, completes missions, and saves up points.

Out of guilt, he favors Zhao Xuancheng greatly, making everyone in the sect envious. They openly accuse him of playing favorites.

Pei Yanqiu thinks, Zhao Xuancheng gave up his life for me. What's wrong with treating him well? He even thinks he hasn't been good enough to him.

*

During the Qixi Festival, Zhao Xuancheng finds Pei Yanqiu on the back mountain, dressed in white and drunk beneath a tree.

His stern, sharp features take on a helpless look. He raises an eyebrow, bends down, and lifts Pei Yanqiu into his arms, only for the other man to wrap his arms around his neck. "Zhao Xuancheng, do you like me?"

Zhao Xuancheng's dark eyes are as deep as the night. He presses his lips together and says nothing.

Back in his room, he carefully lays Pei Yanqiu on the bed and asks in a low voice, "Do I have a place in your heart?"

Not long afterward, Pei Yanqiu is cornered at the mountain gate by the scumbag from his past life. Furious, he wants to blast the man with heavenly lightning. Just as he's about to attack, Zhao Xuancheng arrives on his sword and wraps an arm around him, facing the Demon Lord. "Master is mine."

The Demon Lord looks at Pei Yanqiu. Pei Yanqiu steels himself, then nods on impulse.

Zhao Xuancheng: As I thought, Master really does like me.

*

Zhao Xuancheng: "Today, I wish to become Dao companions with my master. We will bind our hair crowns and wear our marriage robes, our love enduring as long as the heavens."

Pei Yanqiu: "Wait, disciple, I think you've misunderstood something."

[Completed works: "Grand Duchy [Reborn]", "Still Sending Warm Clothes", and "Inheriting Your Affection"]

Theme: A gentleman knows what to do and what not to do, and does not concern himself with how history will judge him or why.