NOT ALL TIES BIND After a night in the throes of passion, He Yu finally feels secure in his relationship with Xie Qingcheng. Yet just as Xie Qingcheng begins to grasp the depths of his own feelings for He Yu, he makes a devastating decision: His health failing, and only a few years left to live, he must sever their ties now--before his inevitable death shatters He Yu's already frail psyche. Yet danger looms closer than heartbreak. Huang Zhilong is gone, yet the cabal that once backed him remains. Although He Yu has begrudgingly accepted Xie Qingcheng's decision, his resolve is soon put to the test when Xie Qingcheng is dosed with a potent aphrodisiac at his sister's wedding. He Yu may be forced to do something both of them will regret--that is, unless his rival Chen Man gets there first.