Lush and Lovely

[Main Story Complete] (Bonus chapters updated with the rankings (⑉°3°)-♡, daily-life bonus chapters complete)

(If 10 bonus chapters are up, the next update will be a double-length chapter)

[Money-loving, flirtatious, bewitching, worldly widow × aloof, heaven-blessed prodigy]

#BewitchingWidowAndTheCrownPrince#FemaleLeadNotPure#OlderWomanAndYoungerMan#AngstAndDrama

#Face-Slapping#RunningAway#ForcedPossession#

(For specific reading guidelines, see below. Must read. Important things are said three times.)

1.

Xue Yingyan was just like her name: voluptuous in figure and dazzlingly beautiful. But she came from the common streets, and no matter how often people praised her for her charms, they always added that she was terribly vulgar.

Xue Yingyan couldn't care less. She was perfectly happy to admit she was vulgar. She loved gold and silver, pleasure and comfort, beauty and excitement, and hated hard work more than anything.

Perhaps she was simply born difficult to keep. After two husbands in a row died, her in-laws and even the neighbors all treated her like a jinx, afraid she'd come near and sweep the rest of the clan straight into the underworld.

Xue Yingyan rolled her eyes, made a scene a few times, and secured the inheritance owed to her. Then she packed her bags and went to the capital to seek help from a distant aunt on her mother's side.

Her elderly great-aunt was the most capable woman in the Xue family. She was the head stewardess of the Crown Prince's hot spring villa outside the capital.

With her great-aunt's help, Xue Yingyan got into the villa and landed herself an easy job.

Her leisurely days came to an end one winter night.

It was a festive occasion. Drunk, Xue Yingyan wandered into a spare room and passed out.

When she woke, the villa was silent and still.

She had no idea what was going on. Still groggy from the wine, she only knew she needed to get up, wash and bathe, then return to her own room and go back to sleep.

Heating water would take too long, so she decided to use the small hot spring reserved for the stewards.

Meanwhile, the master arrived unexpectedly in the middle of the night. Everyone at the villa came out to welcome him.

Everyone, that is, except the new arrival, the bewitching young widow Xue.

Before dawn, Xue Yingyan fled back to her room in a panic.

She hurriedly dressed, but couldn't retrieve her belly wrap.

The peony-red, soft fabric still covered the Crown Prince's face, tied fast in place.

2.

At first, Huo Zhao was enraged.

In an imperial villa bestowed by the Emperor, some lowly servant had dared to take advantage of his unguarded state while he was unwell, conceal her identity, and deceive her way into his bed. Then she'd fled out of fear of punishment. Once he found her, he would tear her limb from limb and peel off her skin to avenge his humiliation.

Later, when he finally found her, he didn't rush to expose her. Watching the foolish woman, so sure of her own cleverness, tremble with anxiety and uncertainty by his side every day was rather amusing.

After a while, the game was over, and it was time to deal with the trouble she'd caused.

But the woman cried and begged, clinging to him and professing her feelings in every way she could.

Since she'd served him well, and was rather pitiful, having lost her husband, he let go of his anger and reluctantly spared her. He even granted her the favor of taking her into the Crown Prince's household.

As long as she continued to be obedient, he naturally wouldn't mistreat her.

She was only a woman. Even if she was short-sighted, greedy for wealth, and skilled only at sweet-talking, he had already taken her. She was deeply attached to him, and since she pleased him well enough, taking her in would do no harm to the greater plan.

Huo Zhao had considered it calmly.

For a woman of her station, this was already the best arrangement she could hope for. He would give her no more, and she could not ask for more. He didn't particularly cherish or love her. He was simply keeping her.

It was nothing more than physical pleasure. Though she clung to him day after day and loved him with all her heart, he could never return even a fraction of her sincerity. There was no such thing as true love in the imperial household.

Huo Zhao's face was expressionless as he said coldly, "Don't hope for what you have no right to want."

Xue Yingyan let her tears fall, her voice tender and sweet. "Your Highness is right. It's all this servant's fault. I love Your Highness and couldn't stop clinging to you. I want nothing else. I only hope Your Highness will care about me, even just a little."

Hard as iron, Huo Zhao continued, "Now that you've entered the Crown Prince's household, you should know your place. No more wanton behavior or seducing your master. Don't break the rules."

Xue Yingyan timidly nestled against him. "Yes, yes. It's all my fault for losing control. I wish I could be with Your Highness day and night, loving you without ever parting. I must have worn you out."

Her manner and expression were so utterly sincere, so devoted and unwavering. She truly seemed to love him more than anything.

Then the court took a sudden turn, and the struggle for the throne began. Just when he was stretched too thin and in the most dangerous position, she secretly allied herself with someone outside the household and vanished without a trace.

Only then did Huo Zhao realize that all her passionate devotion had been an act, nothing but false affection.

His expression turned icy. He crushed the jade handle of the riding crop in his hand.

No one had ever dared to fool him like this, again and again.

[Reading Guidelines (Must Read)]

1. The female lead is not pure, and is four years older than the male lead. She has had two husbands.

2. Happy ending.

3. The female lead is wanton and loves money and pleasure. Her tastes are very vulgar. She can bend and adapt, act and pretend, and often has no conscience. She's a pampered, self-loving beauty.

4. The male lead is proud and cold, with a tongue as hard as iron. Face-slapping and chasing his wife. He's a complete bastard, not a good person.

5. This is a melodramatic story, full of over-the-top drama, written to indulge the author's tastes. It includes a bewitching heroine, competing suitors (with all kinds of male supporting characters), identity reveals, forced possession, and running away, among other earthy, vulgar tropes. Forced possession and melodrama are the main themes. If you absolutely can't accept forced possession, don't read this, don't read this, don't read this. Search for the definition of forced possession yourself. As always, the author has strong tastes and loves clingy, drawn-out push and pull. The pacing is slow and gradual.

6. The customs of different dynasties are all thrown together. This is a fictional setting, extremely fictional, with little political intrigue.

7. No writing advice of any kind, please. I don't need it. This is not a commissioned story. If our tastes don't match, don't force it. I won't change the pacing, tropes, or writing style. If you can't keep reading, don't force yourself. No need to announce that you're dropping it. This is a melodramatic story. If that's your thing, come on in. If not, please don't.

8. Keep discussions friendly. Comments that disrupt the atmosphere, including writing advice, insults, trolling, personal attacks, starting flame wars, building threads to argue, or comments from people reading pirated copies, will be deleted.

Blurb completed on 2025.8.27 and saved in a screen recording.

The second part of the blurb was completed in 2026.4 and saved in a screen recording.

[Rating: Recommended for readers aged 21 and over]

Theme: Every force has its match