The Elder Brother's Wife

【Honest, Kind Wife & Powerful Male Ghost】 White funeral drapes hung low in the mourning hall. The coffin of the Pei family's eldest legitimate son rested in the center as guests came to pay their respects. The steward announced that Pei Ji, Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, had arrived. The guests fell silent at once, both respectful and apprehensive. No one had ever expected that the Pei family's illegitimate son would rise to such a position. His methods were ruthless, and he held immense power at court. Pei Ji strode into the mourning hall. Paying no heed to the guests bowing on either side, he went straight to the coffin. Ji Lanshu, the Pei family's eldest son's widow, knelt before the coffin with a blank expression, seemingly mourning her husband. Pei Ji bent down and personally helped his widowed sister-in-law to her feet. “Sister-in-law, please accept my condolences.” Pei Ji stared at her and spoke unhurriedly. With her back to everyone, Ji Lanshu hurriedly pulled her hand away, her eyes lowered. “Thank you for your concern, Uncle.” Night fell. Rain pattered outside, and the bedroom door was firmly shut. Ji Lanshu was cornered, her face faintly flushed as she glared at the uninvited guest before her. “Wasn't Lan Niang quite happy with me last night? Why are you so distant today?” He rubbed her wrist, smiling. “You promised me... every other day.” Ji Lanshu furrowed her brow, then added in a low voice, “You shouldn't have come today.” “Lan Niang.” He pressed his forehead into the hollow of her neck and took a deep breath. “It's raining so hard. Where do you expect me to go?” Reader's guide: 1. Older man, heroine has had previous partners, hero hasn't. Heroine is 19, hero is 26. 2. The heroine isn't strong or an independent leading lady. She's very honest and has a slight everyone-loves-her quality. There are other male characters, and the male lead has low morals. 3. The marriage contract between the heroine and the husband mentioned in the blurb is fake and has no legal force. By the standards of ancient marriage customs, they were never actually married. Coming soon: 《Taking My Nephew's Bride》 【Gentle, Kind Farm Girl & Patriarchal Tyrant】 Born into the Qinghe Cui clan, Cui Yanzhi was a heaven-blessed prodigy. His elders had high hopes for him, his official career went smoothly, and his posting away from the capital to gain experience was just the icing on the cake. But when he returned to the capital, he brought back a country girl named A Luo. “A Luo and I are in love. We've already pledged ourselves to each other in private, and now that we're back in the capital, we'll go through the proper marriage rites,” Cui Yanzhi said. The whole family was in an uproar. His parents and elders naturally objected. How could a legitimate son of the Cui clan marry a farmer's daughter? Cui Yanzhi turned to his uncle, the Marquis of Dingxiang, for help. His uncle was powerful and had always been the elder closest to him. Surely he would support him. Sure enough, his uncle agreed, and no one in the Cui family dared object again. Cui Yanzhi was deeply grateful. He brought his fiancée, A Luo, to pay his uncle a visit. The uncle met A Luo warmly and wished them a happy life together. Everything was going perfectly. Until, on the eve of the wedding, his uncle suddenly changed his mind, claiming their birth charts were incompatible and calling off the marriage. A Luo was sent away, and his uncle personally promised to find her a good husband. Not long afterward, Cui Yanzhi received an invitation to the marquis's wedding. The Marquis of Dingxiang was taking a wife, and the entire court came to congratulate him. At the banquet, red candles shone brightly. Cui Yanzhi sat among the guests and watched the bride slowly emerge, dressed in a scarlet wedding gown, her hairpins swaying gently. It was his A Luo! Shen Luo was born into a farming family, growing up wild in the mountains, equally skilled at growing vegetables and hunting. Ever since she followed Cui Yanzhi to the capital, she'd felt out of place. The people here were complicated, there were too many rules, and even getting married had been fraught with obstacles. Cui Yanzhi comforted her, saying his uncle would help them. But was that really true? Shen Luo was imprisoned in the marquis's residence. She looked up at the culprit. “Didn't you say you'd let me go and find me a good match?” “Marrying me is the best match for you, A Luo.” Cui Xuan walked toward her step by step, blocking out the last of the daylight. “I hate you, Cui Xuan,” she said. “You should call me husband.” Cui Xuan lowered his head and kissed her. Theme: Love can turn a cliff into level ground