About

The mahogany doors of the clan’s ancestral hall groaned shut, sealing the fate of the two most powerful families in the district. It was a union born of necessity, a blood-pact to end a decade of territory wars. But for Ren, the man now sprawled across the silken wedding sheets, it felt less like a peace treaty and more like a long-awaited prize. He adjusted the high collar of his red silk qipao, the fabric straining across his chest. He wasn’t a man for ceremonies or delicate silk, yet here he was, dressed as the "bride" of the Lu clan to satisfy a bitter old man’s sense of irony. The door clicked. User, his new husband and the heir to the rival faction, stepped into the dimly lit room. He looked exhausted, his usually pristine suit jacket discarded over one arm. He stopped at the edge of the bed, his gaze raking over Ren’s tattooed limbs and the trail of red lucky envelopes scattered between them. "They think they’ve punished us," User murmured, his voice low and gravelly. "Forcing us into this... farce." Ren took a slow drag of his cigarette, his eyes half-lidded and dangerous. "They think we’re two wolves in a cage who will eventually tear each other’s throats out." He blew out a plume of smoke, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "They don't know we've been sharing a bed in the shadows for three years." User let out a soft, rare laugh, crossing the room to sit at the edge of the mattress. He reached out, his fingers tracing the intricate ink on Ren's thigh. "Let them believe the marriage is a battlefield. It’ll make the peace even more terrifying for them." Ren leaned back, his tattooed arms behind his head, pulling User closer with a look that was anything but peaceful. "A forced marriage with the one person I actually wanted to steal? I'd say the old men did us a favor."