MC is over his head with fear and ML his hatred to the world. As MC is stuck with his puppet emperor role and the ML just wanted to destroy the people that fcked his life up (not the MC btw). Unfortunately, ML never got to know the identity of the person who was once kind to him since his benefactor is too busy being scared... They are basically strangers in this first lifetime. So the potential good feelings that could have existed in the first lifetime is definitely zero. But their relationship had a turnover when MC was reborn and decided change both of their destiny. This time they properly fell inlove with each other.

that will act like a cornered rabid dog. Take note at he does not have the happy memories of the 18yo ML. There will be a brief imprisonment thing but nothing irreparable will really happen. Also I want to add that transmigrated ML may be cranky and had that mu*derer General personality but in front of the MC he merely becomes some gloomy tsundere.

To be specific, MC/shou is victimized by the villain-Exbf and tried to run away from him in both lifetimes. While ML became what he is after becoming a s*ave and his only family died all caused by the clan of the same villain. Their only intersection is when they were young, MC treated ML with kindness for a bit before getting roped in the villain's manipulations.

Because he look down MC origin and body shame him without looking into things properly. I got this far into the story only because of MC kindness that spread like wildfire even effecting me. Like, bruh! Mother fking btch! MC loved ML so much that even after reborn, he still save ML despite how ML tremple over him in his previous life. Though, the ML in present time was good, but to have the past b*tchY ML into the dog blood sht, like, oh man. I know it's for dog blood but I kinda don't want MC to show merch and kindness to this bit*h anymore. Can he just stop suffering please. I'm so irritated that I have to come and rant here before I think I can continue damn it.

It's so painful that I felt like I could die before MC did. Luckily ML redeem himself. And I kept thinking of why MC not just told ML that he's the one who helped him in the past, but in the it was shown that MC was pitying ML instead? I finally see now what a true Budda look like :)

Also, our MC was never s*upid in EQ!!! Damn, he use his brain, his body, even his heart to win the throne and I'd have done the same as ML, bow down like a beast and gather everything under MC feet just for MC to choose :) because MC deserved all these not just because of all suffering he went through but also because of his tactic of using everything! He has IQ and EQ so no wonder... :D

Also, ML you don't have dignities no more lol you Always faceslap yourself, it was so many times that I felt like you deserved it lmao

the ML also gets reborn

If you read the tags/other reviews you'll know that ML later on reincarnates as well, losing all the memories of the current ML and that's where the divide comes in. He doesn't technically r*pe MC as LYM agrees to it, he gives his consent BUT it's a willingness that was under extreme coercion/pressure so that's some extremely dubious consent. Make of that what you will. No one else in the story touches LYM besides the ML however so if you're worried in that regard rest easy.

Another thing is that Ni Lie (the ML) in the past life never looked down on LYM for being inters*x specifically, he looked down on him for being the puppet of Sima Yu/the Sima family. They never actually interacted in the past life (as LYM and NL, even the first chapter had LYM kill himself before NL got there) and they were enemies in the past life to be fair. If I woke up with my fate changed by someone who used to be on the side of my enemies I too would be very apprehensive and skeptical. There's also a misunderstand because NL had found LYM's handkerchief on his body and the body of another official with no other context, thus thought LYM was seducing others (to which he legitimately was) for scheming.

the ML was reborn

s*upid original ML also came back and ruined everything. Just straight ab*se by the ML who traumatized the poor MC.

Objectively, in both lives, the ML had it worse than the MC. The ML was basically dehumanised and treated worse than a f*cking animal. The ML who was only 10 year old at that time had his whole family executed, forced to be a s*ave, then become a plaything for the fourth prince where he was tortured and was forced to fight with wild animals. I just can't get over the scene where the MC had to treat the ML's wound that was crawling with maggots, and how the ML's was laying in his own feces in the f*cking cage. In the first life, the ML's sister was even forced to be a prostitute and was gangr*pe to death.

Sure the MC's life was also hard, but compare to the ML, we can see that ML had it worse.

The original Red Tiger King reincarnates roughly midway through the novel (around chapter 56 I think?) and then the ML and MC who have experienced two lives have to relearn how to love each other again

Yes, it's 100% HE. However if you're looking for bittersweet endings I'd still recommend it because the ending doesn't waste any time on fluff and the characters work so hard to get to where they are that the ending is completely satisfying.

Contrary to others, I personally feel like the author's decision to make the ML from the past life transmigrate into the current life was a good one. It did increase the dogblood, but let's be real, the foreshadowing was everywhere!

The MC is jaded and broken. The 18 yr old ML would not have understood him. MC really needed somebody who could understand, accept, and love all his sides, and his past life was a big part of his current personality. MC mutilated and killed himself; just how much agony and helplessness did he have to feel to do that? He didn't just kill himself, he actually destroyed his face. Just how broken had he become to do something like that?

It's not as if MC could forget everything that happened and start anew. He remembered everything. He considered su*cide as a release. He genuinely needs somebody who'd understand where he was coming from, and the puppy like ML who was happy sharing sweet memories with the MC and living an unambitious life, was certainly not the one. Only the ML from the first life, who was just as jaded and broken as the MC could understand. Only the ex emperor ML could help carry MC's burdens and support and protect him.

Of course, most tragedies would not have happened if the ML did not lose his memories as an 18yr old in this life, but I can understand what the author was trying to do. They wanted to tell us that the ML would fall in love with the MC regardless of which life it was. Their love was not due to their circumstances and neither was ut despite it. Their love existed as an entirely different entity that was not dependent on anything.

MC was so broken he thought of killing his child if the child was inter**x, not due to hate, but because he knew how heartless the world was to inters*x people and how bad of a life his child would have to endure. It mirrored his own desire for non-existence.

Also, for people saying MC is a sissy and crybaby, honestly, anybody would cry in his position. The fact that he falls so many times and gets back up is really really impressive. He's helpless, he's powerless, life has been trying to smother his flame, but he's been trying to carve a way out with his bare nails, even if they leave his fingers bleeding in the process. I appreciate people like the MC; I would've simply given up.

MC is a reincarnated individual. He rescues ML bc he pities the humiliation and inhumane treatment he was put through. Years later MC & ML have a happy relationship, but at around ch 70 ML is also reincarnated into the first lives version of ML, who is much crueler. Their relationship turns angsty after that and *checks tags* stuff happens.

I pitied the reincarnated ML too, though it doesn't justify his actions.