The shou was born in the slums of West Ninth District, a lawless place full of every kind of person. He grew up fighting for scraps, hustling, and cheating people. Then he got caught out at a casino one day and was beaten within an inch of his life.
While he was lying in bed recovering, a group of people came to him. They exploited his weakness and demanded that he take someone else's place in an arranged marriage to the youngest heir of one of the Federation's most powerful families.
They handed the shou a photograph.
The man in it was impossibly handsome, his deep eyes gazing coldly at the camera beneath dark gray brows and lashes.
The shou recognized him as the culprit who had exposed his little tricks at the casino, getting him beaten until he was covered in blood.
The shou laughed and agreed.
*
The gong was aloof, dignified, and coldly indifferent.
The wedding was meant to be nothing more than an exchange of benefits, and his family gained a new head of household.
His new wife, from an opposing faction, was beautiful and fragile. It was hard not to worry whether he could withstand the subtle rejection and pressure around him.
But in the blink of an eye, he had everyone wrapped around his finger,
including the gong.
Countless times, as he held his wife close in the middle of the night, he thanked himself for not refusing the marriage.
Until one day, the truth came out: the person in his bed was an impostor, a spy, a liar.
It had all been a lie. His lover had shamelessly toyed with him using counterfeit affection.
His wife had already fled from his side, and he swore he would catch him and make him pay.
But when he received the next message, it said his wife was dead.
The hatred in his heart suddenly went cold. Holding his wife's portrait, he quietly turned gray-haired.
Written on 2024/11/02
Theme: Self-reliance and strength
