Enemies to lovers | Taming the wolf diary | Love and hate | Saving each other
Princess Xiao Qingyao, daughter of the empress of Southern Tang, was a dazzling talent. She trained in martial arts under her uncle from childhood and studied military strategy. Bold and spirited, she had no equal in all of Southern Tang. Truly, she was an extraordinary woman.
But the good times did not last. When Xiao Qingyao was seventeen, her uncle, who had raised and taught her like a father and a mentor, staged a coup to seize the throne. That night, the blood of the Southern Tang royal family stained the entire Shangyang Palace red. With their last ounce of strength, the ruler and empress of Southern Tang shielded Xiao Qingyao and the crown prince so they could escape.
Xiao Qingyao fled north with her little brother, pursued by rebel troops. With nowhere left to run, she slipped in among a group of dancers from Mobei, and so managed to survive.
Wuhuan Jin, leader of Mobei, had been sent to Southern Tang as a hostage when he was young, after Mobei was defeated in war. He endured endless suffering there, then escaped back to Mobei, killed his father, and seized power, climbing over the corpses of his many brothers to take the throne. He was cold, ruthless, cunning, and mercurial.
The first time Wuhuan Jin saw Xiao Qingyao, he saw the resolute hatred and resentment in her eyes.
Once, the princess of Southern Tang had stood high above him, looking down on him as a hostage. Now she was in the palm of his hand.
He had always enjoyed taming wild, unruly wolves. He was curious to see when this Southern beauty, a peony fallen into the dirt, would finally bow her head.
Entwined beneath embroidered curtains, he gripped her slender wrist and pinned her down, leaving her nowhere to escape. His scorching breath brushed her ear, carrying the victor's mockery and possessiveness:
“If you want your brother to live, learn how to please me.”
Xiao Qingyao endured humiliation in the Mobei royal court, all for the chance to return to Southern Tang one day and reclaim her kingdom.
Night after night, they shared intimacy in bed, caught in a tangle of love and hate.
Wuhuan Jin saw through all her restraint and despair. He knew she had her own ambitions, yet he could not bring himself to let her go.
Desire entwined them, while hatred and longing tore at them from all sides. By the time they finally looked back and understood, neither knew who was the hunter anymore.
A note from the author:
1. This story has a happy ending, and both leads are strong.
2. This is entirely fictional. Please don't scrutinize it for historical accuracy.
The title was inspired by the Southern Tang ruler Li Yu's poem, “How Much Hatred,” from “Dreaming of the Southern Regions: How Much Hatred”: “How much hatred, in last night's dream. It was like the old days, touring the imperial gardens, carriages flowing like water, horses like dragons. Flowers and moonlight, a spring breeze.”
Theme: Love is seeing you clearly
