The tale begins in the bustling, impoverished streets of Hanyang, where Yohan, a mute commoner, live among the forgotten and forsaken. The air is thick with the stench of decay and despair, a stark contrast to the grandeur of the royal palace that looms in the distance. Yohan, however, are a ghost in this city, unseen by most, but his defiance is palpable. Despite Yohan's silence, his eyes speak volumes-sharp, calculating, and burning with a fire that no one, not even the oppressive government, can extinguish.
Emperor Yi Hwan, a man consumed by power and cruelty, never intended to take notice of someone like Yohan. His world is one of iron-fisted rule and heartless decisions, yet Yohan's defiant gaze as he endure punishment for a crime he didn't commit, sparks something in him. When he sees Yohan kneeling before the magistrate, not begging for mercy but glaring back at those who seek to break him, Yi Hwan is taken aback.
Intrigued and unsettled by Yohan's silence and the strength that radiates from his battered form, he makes a decision that will bind them both in ways they cannot yet imagine. He buys Yohan, not as a man would buy a slave, but as a possession to bend and break. Yohan's body, bruised and broken, is now under his control, but the emperor soon learns that there is something more dangerous than defiance-an unwilling heart, a soul he cannot crush.
The story unfolds as Yi Hwan attempts to dominate and silence Yohan, but Yohan's resistance, Yohan's silence, and Yohan's unyielding spirit draw him closer, even as it pushes Yohan both toward a tragic and destructive love.
🍁𝗦𝗬𝗣𝗡𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗦
Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan grew up bound by an engagement arranged by their families. To everyone, it seemed simple-they were meant to marry. But growing up together made them realize that love is not something guaranteed by tradition. Xiao Zhan loved sincerely, while Wang Yibo struggled to understand his own feelings, unsure if their bond was fate or obligation.
Through shared memories, quiet moments, and the pain of almost losing one another, Wang Yibo comes to understand that the one constant presence in his life-the person who makes him feel safe, seen, and understood-has always been Xiao Zhan.
So when the time comes to choose, he chooses not because he has to, but because he genuinely wants to.
This is a story of two people who were promised by destiny-
but loved by choice.
𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗘: Arranged Marriage • College Life • Slow Burn Romance • Boy's Love