Note: The complete English fan translation has been taken down as per Aug 26, 2025, but this novel is completely free to read on JJWXC.

SUMMARY

• JJWXC

“Shiyu, my heart is true for you.” These were the blatant words of passion that emerged from the Imperial Marshal‘s own lips. Yet, Chu Mingyun could not help the urge to pinch his own arm from within his sleeve.Su Shiyu’s gentle smile deepened suddenly in that instant. The Imperial Censor then narrowed his eyes all of a sudden, before a few gentle words escaped his lips. “Are you sick?”“Indeed I am, with lovesickness.” Chu Mingyun did not waver as he said this, and neither did his words, which he delivered without a moment’s hesitation.“Now, if you will excuse me,” Su Shiyu nodded politely before turning around to make his leave.—Thus began the story of two people: a person who only pretended to be a cut-sleeve at first, but really ended up becoming one, and the person who didn’t want to get involved with said cut-sleeve, yet became a cut-sleeve even earlier than him.Evil, scheming gong (Chu Mingyun) x Gentle, scheming shou (Su Shiyu).This is a tale where sycophancy meets loyalty. Whenever two parties with clashing ideals cross paths, they tend to misuse each other.You have been warned—when the goal is no longer to kill relentlessly, it becomes to love unendingly.Is the gentleman ill? There is no cure for lovesickness.There are mountains and rivers in your eyes, and they trump all the evergreen existences that have passed me by.

(Translation by Mantou)

• Official EN

In the empire of Great Xia, civility is a mask, courtesy a weapon—and love, perhaps, the most dangerous of all.Chu Mingyun, Grand Commandant and master of his own ambition, rules half the capital with a fan in hand and a smirk that rarely fades. Known for his cunning, feared for his temper, and trailed by shadows both loyal and lethal, he moves through the imperial court like a chessmaster plotting his endgame.Su Shiyu, Grand Censor and paragon of virtue, is his equal in every way—measured, refined, and maddeningly unreadable. His name alone is enough to silence a room, and his smile, courteous though it may be, conceals more than it reveals.A minister’s suicide. A cryptic message. A rumour that shakes the court to its foundations. As secrets brew beneath silken robes and ceremonial smiles, Chu launches a quiet campaign of subterfuge… and seduction. But behind Su’s mild gaze may lie a sharper mind than anyone has dared to suspect.Every glance is a gambit, every compliment a calculated move—and in the end, only one question remains:Who’s playing whom?

• MAIN COUPLE

CHUSU

• SIDE COUPLES

- May contain spoilers.
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