Golden Crow

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Female lead's version:

My name is Chaoxi, and I'm a little crow living in Black Mountain Valley. All I want in life is enough to eat and a little sunshine. But even that simple wish is as far out of reach as a dream of yellow millet.

My people are imprisoned in a sunless valley and forced to work as laborers. We live from one day to the next, and our numbers dwindle.

My dear friend was killed by the Phoenix Clan for a crime that never happened. They hung her upside down and drained her blood.

The clan leader and my brother secretly plotted to send me out of Black Mountain Valley, at the cost of the entire clan, so I could find the Fusang Divine Tree and save the Golden Crow Clan.

But I'm so useless. Not long after leaving the valley, I was caught by the subordinates of Xuandu, the fourth prince of the Divine Clan, and taken as a tonic.

I met Xuandu. He's a handsome young man with silver hair, his whole body encased in a layer of ice. His skin was so frozen it had cracked, yet he was still alive. It just goes to show that if someone's will to live is strong enough, it's very hard to die.

Then I won't die either. I'll leave Mount Zhaoyao alive and find the Fusang Divine Tree.

Male lead's version:

My name is Xuandu, and I'm a member of the Divine Clan. When I was over a thousand years old, I met a little crow. She was innocent and cute, and I liked her very much.

I let her build a nest in my hall. She tried to please me cautiously, often bringing me odds and ends like leaves and stones.

I made allowances for her being a bird and gradually grew used to her awkward company.

Later, under my protection, she transformed into a beautiful young woman with a sun disk on her forehead. Only then did I learn that she wasn't an ordinary little crow. She was a Golden Crow, a true Great Sun Golden Crow, coveted by the Divine Clan and feared by the other clans.

Sacrificing a Great Sun Golden Crow could help the Divine Clan's Vermilion Bird lineage ascend to become Fire Gods. I wanted to protect her, so I could only train harder.

I knew she wanted to escape, so I hid her feather robe and gave her my reverse scale to protect herself.

She remained as sweet as ever, staying by my side and growing closer to me day by day.

One day, she said she wanted to see fireworks in the human world, so I went with her.

She and her two companions severely wounded my Yinglong spirit body, which was missing its reverse scale, then cut out my heart and took my core.

Only then did I understand that she'd never loved me the way I loved her.

In the end, she escaped while I was badly wounded. Before she left, she even returned my reverse scale and said she'd come back for me once she'd done what she had to do.

I don't care. If she doesn't come for me, I'll go find her.

She's dead for sure!

Career-minded female lead & love-struck male lead

Reader's guide:

1. Happy ending.

2. A coming-of-age story. The characters may be imperfect at the beginning, so proceed with caution if that bothers you.

3. There may be scenes of male competition for the female lead, so proceed with caution if that bothers you.

4. More details to come.

Premise: Love is a steadfast choice, an eternal preference, growing together with her, and protecting her every step of the way.