[Possessive pursuit + an immoral affair with a powerful man + mutual firsts + cherished wife]
Delicate noblewoman X sinister, scheming powerful official
Cui Jue, eldest son of the Cui family, has the bearing of a noble gentleman and is a trusted favorite of the emperor.
But no one knows what shameful desires lurk beneath that refined, graceful exterior.
Lu Yunxi, the late Duke of Guguo's youngest daughter, was promised in marriage at seventeen. Before the wedding could take place, however, she became a widow without ever having been married.
For the next six years, she lived in seclusion at a Lu family estate.
One day, she heard that her eldest niece, who had married into the Cui family, was seriously ill, and that her family needed to send someone to care for her.
Thinking of their aunt-and-niece bond, Lu Yunxi volunteered to go to the Cui residence.
That night, as Lu Yunxi undressed for bed, she suddenly felt a piercing gaze fixed on her.
“Who's there? Who's hiding?”
The night wind stirred the soft curtains. In the dim light, she saw a man in a bright red official robe sitting by the window.
“I heard my little aunt had come to stay, so Shaojian has come to pay his respects.”
Lu Yunxi hastily gathered her clothes around herself, but a hot breath brushed her neck. “Since you've come, little aunt, why not stay and never leave...”
Later, Lu Yunxi discovered she was pregnant, only to learn that Cui Jue had been weaving a web around her ever since her fiancé's untimely death.
Everything she had suffered was his doing.
No longer her former gentle self, Lu Yunxi stood before the Cui family matriarch, her belly swollen with child. “I'm carrying Cui Jue's baby. Give me a title, or I'll take this matter to the emperor.”
But when the emperor arrived, he personally bestowed on Lu Yunxi the title of Second-Rank Lady of the Court.
[The woman is five years older than the man; height difference]
It's great! It feels slightly coercive; the male lead is shrewd yet refined, not insane; the female lead isn't the type to resist to the death, and she's quite adept at charming the male lead. Great! It's all finished without me even realizing it! It was so good, definitely a sweet and romantic story. I love this kind of male lead. When will the author start a new book? I'm so looking forward to it!
I liked the male lead's character throughout the story; he was always clear about his goals and never ambiguous. He seemed quite intelligent and assertive towards the female lead at first, but later, facing his fundamentally corrupt niece, it was really difficult for him to accept his own incompetence.
This is truly the smartest and most powerful male lead I've ever seen. He always anticipates and counters any attempts by others to harm the female lead or himself. He's incredibly capable. He also adores the female lead; he knew how to like her even at 12 years old! 😂
It's really good! The author's writing is so delicate. I wasn't planning on reading it at first, but the more I read, the more I wanted to continue. It's so well-written, the characters are very detailed, and the male and female leads are both great. 🥰🥰🥰🥰😘😘😘😘
As a long-time bookworm, I'm quite picky about novels, and I often give up halfway through. I stumbled upon this one by chance, and it turned out to be surprisingly good.
The male lead is absolutely adorable and so sweet! This is something you only find in novels! A devoted, almost superhumanly intelligent, calm yet ruthless man, he's incredibly attentive to the female lead. For her, he'd throw away his future and family, and he'd kneel down without hesitation—his pride is nothing to her.
This isn't really immoral. Besides, I absolutely love sweet, romantic stories where the love lasts a lifetime, and the characters grow and are drawn to each other. The female lead isn't weak or pretentious. The male lead is straightforward and strong. Reading this kind of story is so relaxing. It's just that the serialization phase is so annoying!!
The writing is superb. The male lead is incredibly intelligent, almost supernatural, and the female lead is stunningly beautiful. The male lead falls in love at first sight and strives to become a powerful minister to protect her. He rises to the highest ranks of the court and is relentlessly devoted to her, unconditionally believing in and loving her. Highly recommended!
The premise is quite novel: an ancient romance between an older woman and a younger man. The male lead is practically the perfect example—skilled in both literature and martial arts, possessing near-divine intelligence, and utterly devoted to her, showering her with overwhelmingly sweet and doting affection. The female lead is a bit eccentric, and their escape plan feels like child's play. Their interactions are incredibly sweet. Add it to your favorites for a second viewing! 😳
This book is really captivating, and it's quite different from other novels I've read that involve forced love or immoral acts. It's unique, really. Even though the female lead is forced into the relationship and adheres to traditional etiquette, the protagonist (from what I've read so far) doesn't suffer from internal conflict; at least she manages to maintain a relatively smooth emotional state.