[Wildly Unrestrained Bottom × Gentle on the Outside, Mad on the Inside Top]
Everyone said Yan Yunqing was a flawless, radiant pearl, untouched by the dust of the world.
He was the eldest legitimate son of the top clan, the Yan family: noble in bearing, handsome and distinguished, accomplished in both letters and arms, and renowned far and wide.
The young heir of Prince Gong's manor, a notorious hell-raiser, admired him endlessly. A mighty young general became his confidant. Even the crown prince favored him.
But I hated Yan Yunqing with all my heart.
Because I, Yan Qi, was the Yan family's true eldest legitimate son.
I returned after years of wandering, only to be cast aside like trash. I, too, was once bewitched by that pearl, even sharing a bed with him. Then, in a single night, my beautiful dream was shattered, and I fell onto the path to hell.
I swore to destroy that pearl in this corrupt world.
"Affection fades with the passing years, but hatred does not. It only lies dormant. It will never sleep."
"With an old family feud before us and personal grudges behind, there can be no end between us but death."
Yan Yunqing watched Yan Qi rise from obscurity to dazzling prominence, from standing alone to being surrounded by admirers.
He rushed across the countryside, rescuing the poor and helpless from dire straits. He offered brilliant strategies, drove back the invaders, defeated plagues, and saved the people.
Yan Qi was the true, unblemished pearl of the world.
When he returned to the halls of government, the nearly extinguished reformist faction found new life. Talented men from humble families admired him, while the great clans sought to win him over. Beneath the turbulent surface, they all wanted to claim him for themselves.
Yan Qi didn't know that the young heir by his side looked at him with more than innocent intentions. Nor did he notice that the young general was always silently protecting him from behind.
Yan Qi's gaze was always fixed on him, dark and intent.
Yan Yunqing thought this was better than he could have hoped.
"That man is a chess piece, a discarded piece, a wife."
"I set the game with my own body and stake my life on it. We will be entangled without end, sharing love and hatred alike."
[Reading Guide]
1. One-on-one ending, both leads are each other's first, happy ending. Third-person narration.
2. The pursued partner is surrounded by unrequited feelings, but he only cares about his career. He won't return those feelings until later in the story.
3. The plot and romance progress side by side. This is not a conventional pure-hatred story.
Theme: Even a tiny moss flower learns to bloom like a peony.
