After Breaking Off the Engagement, the Imperial Guard Commander Fights to Win Her Back

[Mad, black-hearted, legitimate heiress versus lovesick, loyal Northern Pacification Commissioner]

The second year after Jiang Wu, the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family, broke off her engagement to Qi Heqing, he became the Northern Pacification Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a man feared by everyone. People called him the Iceberg Demon. Though blessed with a handsome face, he terrified the young women of the capital, and none dared marry him.

The two met again at a flower-viewing banquet. Qi Heqing was cold and distant, acting as though he had never known Jiang Wu.

But when the two were alone in the imperial prison, the usually cold and ruthless commissioner had red-rimmed eyes. He gripped Jiang Wu's chin and cornered her against the wall, demanding, "Second Miss Jiang, why did you break off our engagement? Did you think I was holding you back, so you turned around and married someone else?"

At the time, Jiang Wu could never have imagined that this feared commissioner would one day willingly become the blade in her hand. All she had to do was beckon, and he would come running. Every time, he would press close and kiss her until her legs went weak, then beg for a reward. "Zhaozhao, won't you kiss me again?"

His father and brothers were buried on the battlefield, and the childhood betrothal his mother had arranged for him was called off. To gain the power to protect those he cared about, Qi Heqing chose a life spent walking on the edge of a blade and became an Embroidered Uniform Guard, feared to his face and despised behind his back.

When he saw Jiang Wu again, he finally had the power to stand before her and protect her. Yet she lowered her eyes and wished him luck in finding a good match.

Later, his moon descended to the mortal world and came to him for help. He pretended not to care, but the moment he left, he ran home to bring her over and propose to her again.

At last, the wish Qi Heqing had cherished since he was young came true.

Later, the people of the capital saw the Northern Pacification Commissioner, who had never believed in gods or Buddhas, kneel solemnly before the Buddha and pray, "May the gods and Buddhas watch over Zhaozhao. May her life be joyful, and may all go as she wishes."

…Bonus Scene…

On the second day after their wedding, Jiang Wu clutched her waist and glared at Qi Heqing as he helped her get dressed. The proper, innocent act he'd put on before had all been a lie. The previous night, he had coaxed her into calling him "older brother," then had his way with her until the early hours. What an infuriating man.

Noticing her resentful stare, Qi Heqing brought over a teacup and gave her a drink. Leaning close to her ear, he murmured, "Zhaozhao, do you think you'll be able to hold out tonight?"

Jiang Wu: ? Is it too late to run away?

Wasn't he supposed to be the cold and ruthless Iceberg Demon who kept his distance from women? Why was he a lovesick fool who wanted to cling to her every day?

…Reading Guide…

Both leads are devoted only to each other, happy ending, one-on-one romance, mutual devotion, a woman training her dog, and a hero who revolves entirely around the heroine. The heroine is black-hearted beneath her seemingly delicate young-lady exterior, and has another identity.

…Content Advisory…

The plot has some melodramatic parts. The focus is on sweet romance and satisfying plot developments. Readers who especially enjoy tight logic may want to skip this one.

Not a traditional story about an all-powerful heroine, but the story revolves around her.

…Upcoming Book…

The next book is "Jade Spirit," a modern fantasy with urban supernatural mysteries.

Blurb:

Coming in April. I'm working hard to build up a stockpile of chapters!!!

Jade can hold spirits invisible to the human eye. They are called jade spirits.

[Actually slacking off, pretending to be a lazy slacker spirit medium × sharp-tongued, arrogant, soft-hearted jade spirit]

After receiving a call that her adoptive mother had died unexpectedly, Ke Le rushed back in the middle of the night on Tomb-Sweeping Day to the photo studio her mother had run. There, she saw again the man no one else could see.

The man wore a moon-white, stand-collar robe embroidered with bamboo patterns. A string of fine jade beads hung around his neck. With his bright eyes and jade-like features, he looked like someone from the last century. His name was Shen Jue, a jade spirit dwelling in the blue jade ring passed down through the Ke family.

Ke Le had a special spiritual bloodline and had become a target of her family's ancient enemy. To protect herself, she had no choice but to make a pact with Shen Jue. Until they found someone more suitable to serve as his spiritual master, she would follow his guidance and gradually become a proper spirit medium.

When the bell rings, the spirits arrive.

The human and the spirit began their journey together. As they bickered day after day, something subtle seemed to change between them.

Ke Le praised the handsome ghost of a male celebrity. Shen Jue scoffed and called her a shallow fangirl.

Ke Le chatted and laughed with another man. Shen Jue appeared ominously behind him and blew a chill down his neck, saying he looked frail.

Ke Le went out to eat with someone else. Shen Jue not only disrupted their date, but sneered that the man didn't look like a good person.

But... the man was a police officer...

Ke Le finally lost patience, cornered Shen Jue against the wall, and raised her fist as she demanded, "Shen Jue! What the heck do you want?"

Shen Jue: "Would you... mind if your boyfriend... were a thousand years older than you?"

Shen Jue: "Or, to put it another way, would you like to have a twilight romance with me?"

Ke Le: ...

Ke Le: "You need to spend less time online. Who has a twilight romance a thousand years apart? That's a little too twilight! Don't show this to someone who's a thousand years old, okay!"

Shen Jue: I can give up everything I've accumulated over a thousand years, if only Ke Le can live a peaceful, healthy life without a care in the world.

Ke Le: If becoming a spirit medium is my fate, then Shen Jue, so are you. I refuse to accept fate, but I accept you.

…Bonus Scene…

One night, after everyone had fallen asleep, Shen Jue clumsily used the mouse to open Baidu. One character at a time, he tapped out his questions.

[Question: How do you get along with a girlfriend who is a thousand years younger than you?]

[Question: What kind of romance is it when two people have a big age gap?]

[Question: Can a twilight romance be happy?]

Theme: Love means helping her rise, and willingly bowing before her