Ji Xunhuan, Volume Two

Volume One is complete. This is the story of Volume Two. Blurb below:

Ji Xunhuan is arrogant and overbearing, makes enemies everywhere, spends money like water, and delights most in luxury and debauchery.

But thanks to his elder sister, the favored imperial consort, and his own title as the emperor's brother-in-law, no one dares lay a finger on him.

He has two secrets:

First, countless people have passed through his life, but he loves no one but himself.

Second, he is intersex, both male and female.

Ji Xunhuan thought he would take these secrets to his grave, but his elder sister suddenly dies of illness. With his patron gone, those who once fawned over him scatter...

He wants to survive, and he wants to keep living the way he used to.

But he's afraid of dying, and even more afraid of hardship. There's only one thing he can do with ease: use his body to beguile others.

Shadow Guard Jiu is Ji Xunhuan's long-suffering, ever-devoted dog, who only grows more obsessed the more he's mistreated. He's also the first person Ji Xunhuan chose.

But a shadow guard is only a shadow guard. He can't give Ji Xunhuan the wealth, status, and privilege he wants, so Ji Xunhuan casts him aside once he's served his purpose.

What is true love worth, anyway? Trading one shadow guard for a chance to get close to the Crown Prince, now that's worthwhile.

He'll climb his way up to the Crown Prince, the general, the emperor...

He'll keep climbing, step by step, until no one can ever drag him down again.

But when that day comes, tens of thousands of enemy cavalry storm the imperial palace, and the enemy nation's new emperor, Tuoba Zhuo, advances toward the harem, bloodlust about him.

He presses a blade to Ji Xunhuan's neck. The voice behind his mask is both strange and familiar:

"Congratulations on finally getting what you wanted. Too bad I beheaded that dog of an emperor..."

Tuoba Zhuo removes his mask. The name Ji Xunhuan is tattooed across his striking, coolly handsome face, a mark of ownership that no amount of washing could erase from a shadow guard.

Shadow Guard Jiu pinches Ji Xunhuan's face and asks, "Tell me, who should you be clinging to now...?"

For everyone's sake, please read these notes first:

1. Ji Xunhuan is an intersex top, but his female organs are underdeveloped and his male characteristics are more prominent. He is therefore difficult to identify as either male or female, though he looks more like a man.

2. One-on-one relationships: he dates one person, breaks up, then moves on to the next. There are four bottoms in total: Shadow Guard Jiu, Crown Prince Li Yi, General He Cang, and Emperor Li Wenyin. The romance focuses mainly on He Cang and Shadow Guard Jiu, and Shadow Guard Jiu is the endgame partner.

3. An adored, peerlessly beautiful, Mary Sue top. Everyone loves his face, and countless people harbor one-sided crushes on him.

4. The top can act, but has no feelings. He may develop a little feeling by the end, but not much. He loves himself most and doesn't care about anyone else: a purely beautiful "bad guy."

5. This is the author's personal kink project, so I can't guarantee there won't be other things in the story that need a warning. If anything above already makes you uncomfortable, leave right now!

6. This is a stress-relief project, for readers who enjoy somewhat risqué content. Updates will be irregular, and the length is undecided. Also, the author's education is limited, and the wording tends to be modern. Those who care about historical accuracy, please stay away.

7. More to be added... With this many warnings, surely nobody will ask again, right? (scratches head)

The original blurb was posted on 2023.01.29 and has been screenshotted.

Cover character art by Yiye Shu - Fu Ming

Theme: This needs a grand and impressive theme