The Spirit Doll in His Palm: The Tyrant's Beloved Little Fairy

Su Qingyi jolted awake to find herself transformed into a palm-sized cloth doll spirit. Her body was made of cotton batting, and her bright eyes were full of life. She could speak and move with ease, and she even possessed a lively spirit that no ordinary doll could have. But misfortune followed close behind. She had only just fallen from a branch when she landed straight in the hands of Xiao Hengyuan, the tyrannical emperor whose name struck fear into the hearts of everyone at court. To avoid being burned as a demon, she thought fast and claimed to be a celestial maiden who had mistakenly descended to the mortal realm to undergo a trial.

She had hoped to use her identity as a fairy to find a secure place in the palace and win the post of Imperial Preceptor. Then she could gradually help the obsessive tyrant shed his brutality, govern diligently, and become a wise ruler, completing her System task and regaining her human form. But as the days and nights passed together, the cold-faced emperor's defenses began to crumble, and affection quietly took root in his eyes. He personally sewed her exquisite little dresses, had a tiny swing made just for her in the palace gardens, and always cradled her carefully in his palm. Each gentle endearment, “Fairy,” held a favoritism he could no longer conceal.

As time went by, Su Qingyi grew slack and simply gave up, no longer willing to put effort into cultivation. Xiao Hengyuan, however, was willing to give her all the imperial dragon fortune that had sustained his family for generations. Day after day, he softly asked if she could soon shed her doll form and become human, so she could stay by his side.

When every task was finally complete, Su Qingyi regained her freedom and immediately left, wanting only to travel far away and live on her own terms. But the emperor, eyes red, followed her scent across a thousand miles and pulled her tightly into his arms. A warm kiss fell gently on her lashes as he spoke in a hoarse, choked voice, full of humility and fear: