After an Ordinary Girl Catches the Crown Prince’s Eye

Among the many talented young ladies of Yanjing, Liu Yun considered herself thoroughly ordinary.

Her father had spent most of his life working his way up to a minor fifth-rank post, and her own talents were unremarkable.

She could only be called fair and pretty.

Her one strength was that she got along well with people and never made enemies. Even the hardest-to-please young ladies in Yanjing could share a laugh with her.

If nothing unexpected happened, her parents would eventually marry her off to a suitable young man who was just as unremarkable as she was.

Perhaps Yang Sanlang, the son of her father's friend Uncle Yang. He seemed to be interested in her, too.

Matchmakers, betrothal gifts, caring for her husband and raising children: an ordinary, yet dull, second half of her life.

Liu Yun was prepared for it.

But at the birthday banquet for the County Princess of Jinning, she noticed someone watching her.

She glanced over discreetly and saw that the gaze came from the direction of Crown Prince Xiao Heng.

But Liu Yun didn't suspect him.

The Crown Prince was arrogant, conceited, and impossibly picky.

Yanjing was full of beauties, yet he dismissed them all as vulgar and commonplace.

Liu Yun never gave it another thought, assuming she'd imagined it.

That is, until the Buddhist gathering at Fahua Temple in Yanjing, where a group of young noblewomen, Liu Yun among them, were taken hostage. To fool the kidnappers, Liu Yun pretended to be unconscious.

Xiao Heng, who had come to rescue them, stole a kiss from her.

Liu Yun didn't know what he meant by it, and feared the Crown Prince might want to take her as a concubine. After waking, she pretended not to know anything.

Just then, the Yang family came to propose a match. Seeing no reason to refuse, Liu Yun was about to agree.

Instead, an imperial decree arrived from the palace: she was to become the Crown Princess.

Now that was a little too exciting.

Liu Yun, daughter of the Liu family: unremarkable in talent and beauty, dull in temperament, and from an unimpressive family.

That was Xiao Heng's first impression of her when he was sixteen.

But from that day on, for some reason, her face kept appearing in his thoughts.

The following year, at the palace's Mid-Autumn banquet, a little snake startled a group of noblewomen, Liu Yun among them.

Seeing her look so delicate and pitiful after being frightened, Xiao Heng spent that very night dreaming of making love to her.

At first, he suspected someone had put a curse on him. He recited Buddhist sutras for months, but to no avail.

In the third year, he couldn't resist kissing Liu Yun.

Watching the lashes beneath his lips flutter rapidly, Xiao Heng knew she was aware of everything.

If so, why was she still considering a match with Yang Sanlang, a man who couldn't begin to compare with him?

Xiao Heng was furious. That very night, he went to his father and asked for an imperial decree arranging their marriage.

Liu Yun, you are destined to be mine.

Reader's guide

Romance-focused, no political scheming.

The writing is average. If you have high standards for prose, please read with caution.

A shamelessly sweet, Mary Sue-style story. If that's not your thing, please read with caution.

The male lead is an entitled, feudal-minded noble; the female lead is a sweet, delicate innocent. Both have flaws. If that's not your thing, please read with caution.

A slow-burn, slice-of-life story. If you don't enjoy everyday life told in detail, please read with caution.

Respect the author's work and support the official release.

An ordinary, honest young noblewoman vs. an impossibly picky, entitled Crown Prince

Blurb written on January 6, 2026

Theme: Face your true feelings