[Jian San + Tang Poison] Feathers Fall, Leaving Heartache

Miao Yu is easygoing, a single parent, widowed, and raising a child.

In his youth, he rode freely through the martial world, but an incident in his former sect forced him to leave his home. He thought he would spend the rest of his life in seclusion, until he picked up a mysterious A Pao and his stagnant life changed completely.

--

Tang Hen is ruthless and decisive. After being ambushed and gravely wounded by his fellow disciples, he was unexpectedly picked up as a corpse by the Five Poisons father and son.

During the time they cared for him, he was able to set aside his burdens and hatred for a while, quietly restraining his vicious side and showing his tenderness only to the father and son. The more time they spent together, the less willing he was to let them go.

--

Miao Yu thought Tang Hen was merely a passerby in his life. He never expected that he would be forced to change his course for the other man, returning to the martial world and making another round of it. Tang Hen, too, gradually came to understand his own feelings. Once everything had settled down, he tenderly wore Miao Yu down, bit by bit. He wanted him, and he also wanted to become the most important person in his heart.

"Have you ever considered that maybe I only saved you when you were in the greatest danger, and that's why you got the mistaken idea that you fell in love with me?"

"When you appeared, you chased away the chill in my heart that had lingered for years."

That night, when he fought his fellow disciples, the door opened beneath the dim lantern light, and the man said, "You're back?"

-- "That's when I suddenly understood... I was meant to belong to you."

My world was in chaos, but then you appeared, hanging over my heart, becoming my sun and moon.

--

Miao Yu has a knot in his heart. He always feels he doesn't deserve a peaceful life, but that man has been gently giving it to him, bit by bit. Just as the two of them are about to make their feelings mutual and find their happy ending, trouble quietly appears. The identity and past he's kept hidden become the greatest obstacles between them.

One hardship at a time, they make it through them all. Their friends are always happy to watch the drama unfold, but when a brother needs help, they're there for real. The martial world is vast, but finding the right person and having two or three close friends is enough for a lifetime.

An unconventional Tang-Du story about picking someone up. The romance is a slow burn, gentle and steady.

Content warning: Du Ge was married before, and the child is his biological child.

A side note: I started outlining and drafting this story way back in 2022. The long gap means the early chapters are immature (though the later ones aren't much better, of course). Some game references appear in the descriptions in a few early sections and might be out of character, but only a tiny bit. It won't affect your reading, though it might make you cringe hard enough to dig your toes into the floor. I'll probably do a light revision after it's complete.

Wait, why does the relationship dynamic say [Switch]? I can't edit it. This really is Tang-Du, ahhhhh!

Theme: Watching a straight guy fall in love