There’s Something Wrong with the Chief: Du Zhu You Bing (Novel) Series

A tragic past and a deadly world of assassins spark a love that defies fate in this fan-favorite danmei series!

Xiahou Lian, the youngest assassin of the infamous Qiye Garden enclave, has infiltrated the prestigious Xie household on a vague but deadly mission. Posing as a servant under Xie Jinglan, the youngest son of the family, he bides his time, awaiting orders. But as the days pass, an unexpected bond forms between them—mark and assassin alike—throwing a wrench in Xiahou Lian’s plans. The decision he makes will land him in dire straits with the Qiye Garden, while Xie Jinglan walks free.

Two years later, their paths cross again in the Imperial Palace. Forced to walk a perilous tightrope of secrecy, both boys hide dangerous truths from one another. Something is terribly wrong, and they can both feel it. As one of those secrets spirals into mortal danger, an assassin from Qiye Garden—familiar and fearsome—arrives with an ultimatum that threatens to tear their fragile bond apart.

“LET ME LIVE FOR YOU, ALL RIGHT?”

After converging in the capital, Xiahou Lian and Shen Jue soon learn that the imperial court is no safer than the roads that brought them there. Power is shifting perilously, secrets are tightening around them, and Xiahou Lian’s attempts to protect himself through deception place him in unexpected danger.

Shaken by the fallout, the two dare to rebuild the bond they once lost. As Xiahou Lian gains a foothold in the Eastern Depot, he and Shen Jue are swept into a storm of treachery and enemies. A once-overlooked pawn has become a deadly adversary, and every step becomes a gamble with their lives.

As peril closes in from all sides, Xiahou Lian and Shen Jue must rely on the fragile trust they’ve only just begun to reclaim—because this time, it may be the only thing that keeps them alive.

TWIN PATHS OF POWER AND PERIL

Reeling from the devastating loss of someone close to him, young assassin Xiahou Lian sets off on a perilous journey to find his long-lost brother, who’s hidden away on a remote and forbidding mountain. But what Xiahou Lian encounters at the summit isn’t the reunion he imagined. Instead, he’s thrust into a web of secrets and betrayals more harrowing than anything he’s faced in Qiye Garden.

Within the palace walls, Shen Jue moves like a shadow. Though he wears a mask of obedience while serving as his ruthless godfather’s loyal pawn, Shen Jue is executing a dangerous long game. Discovery could shatter his schemes, however…

When Xiahou Lian and Shen Jue cross paths once more, it’s no longer as allies. Each is navigating deadly enemies—and Xiahou Lian believes those foes might even include Shen Jue.

A tragic past and a deadly world of assassins spark a love that defies fate in this fan-favorite danmei series!

Xiahou Lian, the youngest assassin of the infamous Qiye Garden enclave, has infiltrated the prestigious Xie household on a vague but deadly mission. Posing as a servant under Xie Jinglan, the youngest son of the family, he bides his time, awaiting orders. But as the days pass, an unexpected bond forms between them—mark and assassin alike—throwing a wrench in Xiahou Lian’s plans. The decision he makes will land him in dire straits with the Qiye Garden, while Xie Jinglan walks free.

Two years later, their paths cross again in the Imperial Palace. Forced to walk a perilous tightrope of secrecy, both boys hide dangerous truths from one another. Something is terribly wrong, and they can both feel it. As one of those secrets spirals into mortal danger, an assassin from Qiye Garden—familiar and fearsome—arrives with an ultimatum that threatens to tear their fragile bond apart.