Lush and Lovely

(Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, my darlings! (⑉°3°)-♡) [Chapters 123 combined into one and updated in full, nearly 5,800 words. If you've already read it, my darlings, give it another look.] 【A money-loving, flirtatious, voluptuous woman × an aloof, supremely gifted crown prince】 #The Bewitching Widow and the Crown Prince#Female lead not a virgin, male lead a virgin#Older sister and puppy#Soapy melodrama #face-slapping#Running away#Taking by force# (For detailed reading guidelines, see below. Must read. Important things should be said three times.) 1. Xue Yingyan was just like her name: full-figured and alluringly beautiful. But she came from humble, bustling streets, and everyone around her said that no matter how charming she was, she could never shake off her vulgar air. Xue Yingyan didn't care in the least. She was quite happy to admit she was vulgar. She loved gold and silver, pleasure and luxury, beauty and a good time. More than anything, she hated hard work and hardship. Perhaps she was simply born too difficult to keep. After her two husbands died one after the other, her in-laws and even the neighbors all treated her like a bringer of bad luck, afraid she'd come near them and sweep the rest of the clan straight into the underworld. Rolling her eyes, Xue Yingyan made a scene or two until she got the inheritance she was owed. Then she packed her bags and headed 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 matron in charge of the Crown Prince's hot spring villa in the outskirts of the capital. With her aunt's help, Xue Yingyan got into the estate and secured herself an easy job. Her carefree days came to an end one winter night. It was a festive occasion. Xue Yingyan got drunk, found an empty side room, and passed out. When she woke up, the estate was silent, without a soul in sight. Xue Yingyan had no idea what was going on. Still muddled from the wine, all she knew was that 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, and everyone at the estate went out to welcome him. Everyone, that is, except the newly arrived Xue woman, who was as alluring as a fox spirit. Before dawn, Xue Yingyan fled back to her room in a panic. She hastily dressed, but couldn't retrieve her breast wrap. The peony-red softness still lingered on the Crown Prince's face, its scent clinging fast. 2. At first, Huo Zhao was furious. In an imperial estate bestowed by the emperor, a mere servant girl had dared to take advantage of him while he was unwell and caught off guard, conceal her identity, sneak into his bed, and then flee afterward out of guilt. Once he found her, he would have her flayed and dismembered to avenge the insult. Later, when he really did find her, he didn't rush to expose her. It was rather amusing to watch the foolish woman, thinking herself clever, tremble with anxiety and uncertainty around him every day. After letting the game go on for a while, it was time to bring it to an end and deal with the trouble she'd caused. But the woman wept and pleaded, clinging to him and doing everything she could to show her devotion. Considering that she'd served him well and was rather pitiful without a husband, he let his anger subside and reluctantly forgave her. He even granted her the favor of taking her into the rear quarters of the Crown Prince's residence. As long as she remained obedient, he naturally wouldn't treat her poorly. She was only a woman. Though she was short-sighted, greedy for wealth, and skilled only at flattery, he had already had her. And she had fallen deeply in love with him. Since she pleased him well enough, he could take her in. It would make no difference to the larger picture. Huo Zhao had considered it all calmly. For a woman of her status, this was already the best arrangement she could hope for. He would give her no more, and she couldn't 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 every 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 family. Huo Zhao's face remained expressionless as he said coldly, “Don't hope for what you have no right to want.” Xue Yingyan let her tears fall in a coquettish, delicate trickle. “Your Highness is right. It's all this servant's fault. I love Your Highness so much that I can't help clinging to you. I don't want anything else. I only hope Your Highness might care for me just a little.” Hard as iron, Huo Zhao continued, “Now that you've entered the Crown Prince's residence, you should know your place. No more wanton seduction or breaking the rules.” Xue Yingyan timidly nestled against him. “Yes, yes. It's all my fault for losing control. I wish I could spend every day and night with Your Highness, loving you without ever parting. I've worn you out.” Her posture and expression were so sincere, so unwavering in their devotion. She truly seemed to love him dearly. Then the political situation changed, and the struggle for the throne began. Just when he was stretched thin and in the most perilous position, she somehow made contact with people outside the residence and vanished without a trace. Only then did Huo Zhao realize that her clinging devotion and tender affection had all been an act. Her feelings were false. His expression turned ice-cold. 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 a virgin, while the male lead is. She is four years older than him and has had two husbands. 2. Happy ending. 3. The female lead is wanton and money-loving, enjoys the good life, and has very vulgar tastes. She can bend or stand firm, act or put on a front, and is often shamelessly self-serving. She is a pampered beauty who loves herself. 4. The male lead is proud and cold, with a mouth harder than iron. Expect face-slapping and the male lead chasing after his wife. He's a real piece of work, not a good person. 5. This is a soapy melodrama, with all kinds of over-the-top drama and plenty of indulgence in kinks. It includes a woman adored by everyone, competition among men (with various male supporting characters appearing), concealed identities being exposed, taking by force, and running away, along with other cheesy, lowbrow tropes. Taking by force and melodrama are the main themes. If you absolutely can't accept taking by force, don't read it, don't read it, don't read it. Search for the meaning of taking by force yourself. As always, the author likes things intense, clingy, and emotionally tangled. The pacing is slow and gradual. 6. The customs of different dynasties are all mixed together. This is a fictional setting, very fictional, with little political intrigue. 7. No writing advice in any form, please. I don't need it. This isn't a commission. If our tastes don't match, don't force it. I won't change the pacing, tropes, or writing style. There's no need to tell me you're dropping the novel. This is a melodrama: if you enjoy this kind of thing, come on in; if not, stay away. 8. Keep discussions friendly. Comments that affect the atmosphere, including writing advice, insults, off-topic comments, personal attacks, inflammatory arguments, and threads started to pick fights, will be deleted. Blurb completed on 2025.8.27 and saved as a screen recording. The second part of the blurb was completed in 2026.4 and saved as a screen recording. Theme: Every force meets its match.