MTL - Others Tame Beasts, I Tame Demons - Chapter 7 Forest around the lake

The sky was painted gray forever. The light of the sun was restrained. The darkness of the night was deeper than ever. At such a time, he belonged to a class people didn’t even recognize as ’human’. He was at the bottom of the social stratum, a slave. And when his only family was taken away from him... he no longer had a purpose in life. Yet, he clung to life because of his promise. And he set an impossible goal for himself, just so he’d have an excuse to live. When he finally reached a place he never expected to be, in pursuit of a purpose he expected to fail and die miserably trying to fulfill... he awoke to a night that would change his entire life. He was an insignificant fly, a mere speck in the destruction of the Empire. But he... survived. And, despite being a slave, he gained the blessing of a king. Or rather, the curse...

The story begins as our female lead wakes up in a strange room and an unfamiliar body. She realizes that she has travelled back in time and her twenty-two year old spirit is now trapped in the body of a six year old girl. This girl child is the third daughter of Ning Guo’s Prime Minister Li and his seventh wife. Her name is Li Qing Luo and because her mother was originally from an entertainment house, Prime Minister Li and his other six wives treated them badly.

Her first day in that world, the whole family gathers to test the talent of the three daughters. Qing Lei, the eldest, is talented at playing the zither while Qing Fei’s calligraphy is incomparable. Everyone anticipates A’Luo’s failure as she had not exhibited any talent before, but that six year old child recites a famous Tang poem. The entire family is surprised that Qing Luo is able to write such a profound poem and her mother later tells her that Prime Minister Li is so harsh on his daughters because he needs to rely on them marrying well to secure his future. Qing Luo begins to study qin, qi, shu, hua (zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting) but hides her skill because she does not want to be sold in marriage to some prince or court official.

Six years later, A’Luo is now twelve and leaves the estate for the first time to participate at a flower viewing banquet. This is a special banquet because the Five Most Eligible Bachlors of Feng Cheng will be in attendance (there’s actually a more elegant name for them). These young men are: Crown Prince Liu Jian, Fourth Prince Liu Fei, the young An Qing Wang Liu Jue, the son of Prime Minister Gu Gu Tian Xiang, and the top scorer of the Imperial Examinations Cheng Si Yue. A’Luo sneaks off and almost falls into a river, but is saved by a handsome young man. Because he glanced at her bare legs a moment too long, A’Luo calls him a pervert, tries to push him into the river and runs off. The young man only laughs and vows to find her again.

- Description from Novelupdates

The first thing my childhood sweetheart's did after becoming a wealthy woman was to ask me to marry her, in my poor and destitute state, went to her family to become the son-in-law.“Marry me, and you can live in luxury cars and mansions as you please.No need for work or household choresPlenty of pocket money every day, amounting to a five-figure sumAnd if you want kids, I'll bear as many as you wish.”But when I became this toy boy, I gradually discovered the sickly yandere and perverted control side of my childhood sweetheart...An accident brought me back to the past, live my life again.This time, facing the temptation of childhood sweethearts, I decisively refused!In this new life, my slogan is, drum up the wallet, and stay away from the rich woman!Me: “Sorry, I am the man you can never get in this life no matter how much money you spend!”

I died on my wedding night.My mate the Alpha I had loved all my life abandoned me before the entire pack, humiliated me, and whispered his final command through our bond: “Just die already.”And I did.But fate was cruel. Instead of peace, I opened my eyes again… reborn to the very night of my betrayal. This time, I wasn’t the weak, naïve Luna who let her sister steal everything.This time, I would tear their lies apart.