[Dream of the Red Chamber] The Mad Prince's White Moonlight

Sitting in the warm room with its glowing brazier, listening to the servants congratulate her maternal grandmother and second aunt and say that the happy occasion would also welcome her back, Daiyu felt the cold wind outside seeping through the thick curtain and right into her bones.

Was her father's death really so insignificant compared with her cousin's becoming an imperial consort and the family's construction of a garden for the imperial visit?

That evening, back in the tiny green gauze chamber, she leafed through the books her father had left behind. Thinking of her maternal grandmother's usual affection and Baoyu's thoughtfulness and gentleness, Daiyu told herself to let it go. She was now a helpless orphan, sheltered by the family, and her everyday meals and living arrangements were better than those of the family's own young ladies. What more could she want?

Again and again, over and over, Daiyu nearly let herself become part of the Jia family. Then a letter claiming to know the cause of her father's death shattered the calm surface of her life and brought the man who had come for her back before her.

*

As an illegitimate son forgotten by the emperor, Li Mo had suffered neglect since childhood and was practically invisible in the household.

When he saw Daiyu again, he was in an even more wretched state than the first time. But... now that he had found the moon, he would scheme by every means to draw her into his arms, so her light would shine on him alone.

*Bonus Scene:

Everyone knew that Li Mo, the young prince recently brought back by the retired emperor, was mad. If you crossed him, he would risk his life to get revenge.

The Crown Prince was gravely ill, making Li Mo the emperor's only son. He was also genuinely capable and deeply favored by the retired emperor, so the others could only endure him and keep their distance.

At a banquet, the Jia family's cousin accidentally splashed water all over him.

Seeing Li Mo frown, the princesses and commandery princesses thought, "This is bad. This guy doesn't care whether you're a man or a woman. That Jia girl looks so delicate. Who knows if she can withstand the punishment?"

Then they saw Li Mo lower his half-raised hand and carefully offer her a handkerchief. "Miss, were you burned?"

Content warnings:

1. The timeline and ages may be adjusted.

2. The heroine will not suffer, though the story will depict Daiyu's early life in the Jia household. The hero suffers a little, but the ending is happy.

3. The author's writing skills are limited, especially with the court intrigue. This is just for fun.

4. The hero has character flaws and is only kind to the heroine.

5. The Jia family is portrayed negatively, and the hero will take revenge on them, but Daiyu will save the women of the Jia household.

6. Daiyu and Baoyu initially interact as they do in the original, but that changes later.

7. The hero's golden finger: top-tier intelligence, combat ability, and looks. If you can't accept a perfect hero in every aspect except personality, this story isn't for you.

Theme: Two lonely souls leaning on each other for warmth