[A beautiful, arrogant young master born into a top aristocratic clan gradually grows into a ruthless major villain (not really)]
Su Ping, courtesy name Jinxiu, was famous in the capital as a beautiful waste of space.
His elder brother and sister couldn't stand how useless he was, so they gave him the title of General Who Conquers the West and tossed him off to fight in the north.
Everyone looked down on him, and he did nothing to prove them wrong. He had no idea how to command an army, and he was also ridiculously proud. At a victory banquet, he went on a rampage and killed the army's chief strategist in front of everyone, shattering morale and leading to the annihilation of all thirty thousand troops.
News of his death reached the capital.
His family was disgraced because of him.
*
Sima Shu was just as notorious, every bit as dissolute as Su Ping.
When he heard that Su Ping had been ordered to lead a northern campaign, he couldn't stop worrying.
Before Su Ping left, he went out of his way to find him.
"On this trip north, just sit comfortably in the rear and leave everything to the chief strategist. You'll get the military credit in the end anyway."
He meant well, of course. He wanted Su Ping to look after his own safety and didn't want this beautiful flower to be cruelly crushed. He just put it in a particularly unpleasant way.
Su Ping immediately flew into a rage and slapped at him.
"Go to hell! Everyone treats me like I'm useless!"
Sima Shu gently caught his wrist, a complicated, roguish smile on his face.
*
Later, when Sima Shu heard that Su Ping had died, he said nothing. He only crushed a white jade eared cup with a blank expression.
He rode to Su Ping's villa.
Sure enough, some bastard was burning paper offerings for Su Ping.
Yuan Ji wore mourning clothes and knelt before Su Ping's memorial. His clothes and face were deathly pale, his eyes bloodshot, his tears nearly spent.
Sima Shu was furious.
When Su Ping was alive, he'd always yelled at Sima Shu over this bastard. Now that he was dead, this man even dared to pose as Su Ping's rightful surviving spouse. Who was he putting on a show for?
Sima Shu's mouth twitched. He grabbed the man. "What right do you have to mourn him? Who the hell are you?"
Then he suddenly laughed in a deranged manner.
"If you're so determined to be his dutiful son, why not go join him?"
He dragged Yuan Ji out of the mourning hall, still fuming. "I've never liked you. Since you're so devoted, I'll burn you and send you down to him!"
*
Notes:
1. The bottom is not a virgin, but the top is.
2. There will be cannon-fodder tops, and six people will be interested in the bottom. There will be one true top in the end.
3. This is a fictional setting. The historical backdrop is loosely based on the Eastern Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms period, with plenty of invented details. Please don't scrutinize it too closely.
Theme: Alongside personal growth and awakening, one must learn to see all living beings and show compassion to others.
