The General Below

Restoring the cut outline here so things don't get confusing. It's about 150,000 words for now, so I'm locking it.

In his previous life, Xue Sheng was the protagonist of this book, but he didn't even make it past the first chapter.

This is simply outrageous!

When he opened his eyes again, he had been reborn.

After being reborn, he discovered that everything had changed.

The first time he met Third Young Master You, You Lian, was at Jishitang. The young master was covered in whip marks and had lost all his former splendor, while Xue Sheng was sneaking around the door, craning his neck to get a good look at the man's body.

The second time, they were forced to share the ancestral hall with You Lian. A ward sealed off the entrance, and their spiritual power was blocked.

Things were a little awkward. They had just fought, and, for the record, Third Young Master You, You Lian, was his enemy in his previous life, the kind who ran a sword through his heart. It had been a truly miserable end.

So he decided to bribe his enemy! Holding out a piece of pear blossom cake, he offered it to him. "Here, have some cake."

You Lian knelt ramrod straight and refused coldly. "I don't eat cake." But the next second, his stomach started rumbling. The young man's face flushed with embarrassment, and he repeated indignantly, "I said I don't eat cake!"

That night, Xue Sheng saw his "enemy" taking off his clothes, the corners of his eyes tinged red. He hurriedly backed away two steps and covered his eyes. "Pervert! Why are you taking your clothes off in the middle of the night? I'm not that kind of person!"

That was what he said, but he couldn't help peeking through the gaps between his fingers.

They said the third young master of the You family was as pure as snow, as radiant as the moon. How could a gentleman like him have such filthy thoughts... He abruptly slapped the thought away. A fool would pass up a good opportunity!

You Lian rolled his eyes at him. This guy had to be seriously ill.

Xue Sheng narrowed his eyes, then noticed the bloodstained bandages and blood on You Lian's fingers. It seemed the young master of the You family didn't lead such a carefree life after all.

So, in the dead of night, Xue Sheng knocked the young master unconscious and treated his wounds.

He couldn't help being so obsequious toward him; he'd made a habit of it. So Xue Sheng became even more of a lackey. In Shuifu Town, he bought the third young master the things he liked, gave him gifts and candied hawthorns to win him over, and showed him the bustling warmth of the mortal world, something he had never experienced from on high.

In the end, the snow was touched by the mortal world. No one in heaven or on earth had ever treated him the way Xue Sheng did. From then on, You Lian grew greedy for his affection and gradually fell for him. But when he caught a glimpse of Xue Sheng's romantic involvement with someone else, rage surged through him. He grabbed the young man's chin, as if pouring all the strength he had into it. "You made me fall for you, and now you and someone else..." The young man's voice was vicious. "That will happen only over my dead body!"

The names of the male lead and love interest come from Nalan Xingde's poem "Everlasting Longing": "The clamor shatters homesick dreams, and no such sound exists in my homeland." This line expresses longing for one's homeland.

Suggestions are welcome. Also, special thanks to a reader friend for all her support over the years. I'm truly grateful.

Theme: The grudges and grievances of the mortal world are all in the past.