The Years We Lost Between Dusk and Dawn

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[One-on-one romance, a demon king living in hiding X a demon slayer plagued by inner demons]

Ying Luoyu, the second son of the Ying family of Yishan, is the foremost demon slayer in Daling. People know him as a powerful mage, gloomy and solitary.

His fame has spread far and wide, earning him both respect and fear.

After treatment for his food aversion failed, and dozens of cooks came and went, a strange new cook arrived at his manor.

Every day, the cook painstakingly prepared delicious dishes, just hoping he would drink a spoonful of soup or take a bite of food.

Strangely enough, he could eat what she made.

Stranger still, even after he nearly harmed her several times without meaning to, she was still willing to stay by his side.

Outsiders only knew him as a loner, unaware of how sensitive and melancholy he was inside.

He already felt guilty for repaying kindness with cruelty, so he watched her every day, wondering how he could make it up to her.

But the longer he watched, the less he understood his own feelings.

Later, she broke the seal and revealed her demon form, only to be surrounded and hunted by everyone.

He learned that she was the demon king, and that she had been using him as a pawn.

But so what?

He still fought his family and sect for her,

and fell to his knees, begging her to stay.

At the height of his love,

all he got in return was her saying, "From now on, we're even. Let's never see each other again for as long as we live."

*

Yue Xiyin concealed her identity to enter the Ying manor. From beginning to end, all she wanted was to visit her mother at Muxiao Mountain.

To her, he was her employer, a chance encounter, and someone who had come into her life for a reason.

A cup of tea, a plate of pastries, a dish, or a bowl of soup could sum up their shared past.

She knew he was a loner, so she drew close to him of her own accord.

She knew he was ruthless, so she softened her manner and did everything she could to flatter him.

She knew his feelings, but why should two people who'd met once have to be close?

Her mother was dead, and her own road was full of thorns. She was caught in a web of schemes, and the son of her enemy was someone she could never reconcile with.

That day, when he shielded her, she wanted to kill him.

She didn't know whether meeting him was a blessing or a curse. Their affection was real, and so was their enmity.

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Reader's Guide:

1. The heroine is sealed at the beginning and only regains her demon form later.

2. A growth story for the heroine.

3. The hero's food aversion and strange temper stem from his childhood experiences, which will be explained through flashbacks later.

4. Neither the main nor supporting characters are perfect. They aren't meant to be.

5. This is a fictional setting, and no historical accuracy is intended.

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Theme: I decide what my life means