[A cunning beauty who plays the pig to eat the tiger, Li Weiying × the aloof, ascetic Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Shen Zhuonian]
[Sweet historical romance + mutual devotion + scheming heroine + hero breaks his vows + indulgent love + secret crush becomes real + one-on-one romance + both virgins]
Li Weiying was doing it on purpose.
She deliberately acted weak and delicate, deliberately wept so pitifully, deliberately kept Shen Zhuonian’s pity and protectiveness firmly in her grasp.
She deliberately showed weakness in front of him, making him break his own rules for her; deliberately teased and tested him, stirring the desire churning in his eyes.
She wanted to see with her own eyes this Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, untouched by worldly dust and steadfast in his adherence to propriety, utterly undone for her.
She wanted to watch him wield the authority of the Northern Branch of the Embroidered Uniform Guard just to protect her, a young lady of a marquis’s household.
She wanted to watch him defend her in court, even at the cost of offending his mentor and his own relatives.
She wanted to see his cool self-control crumble to dust, to watch him gnawed at by desire and tormented by guilt.
Wonderful. Simply wonderful.
What she wanted was never his protection. She wanted to drag him down from his pedestal, stain him thoroughly, and pull him into the dirt.
Shen Zhuonian had no idea.
He pitied her for living under another’s roof and protected her delicate, frail self, treating her like a porcelain doll that needed to be cherished in the palm of his hand.
He scolded her for crossing the line, yet let her hold on to his sleeve and lean against his shoulder.
He reminded himself to observe propriety, yet panicked when she cried and lost his composure when she drew near.
He had once considered romantic entanglements between men and women filthy. Now, she filled his every thought and gaze.
He hated his own fall from grace, yet craved her warmth.
He called himself vile, yet could not control his urge to hide her away and keep her all to himself.
His own thoughts tormented him until he could not sleep, yet he embraced them willingly.
He was finished. He had fallen into Li Weiying’s hands, with no way back.
Not bad 👍👍👍[Admiration][Admiration] Come on, author!