Blurb: Frail, beautiful heroine × cruel, hypocritical stepbrother
Qin Ruoyun lost her birth father when she was three. After her mother was widowed for three years, she remarried into the He family as a second wife. Qin Ruoyun suddenly became the daughter of the Minister of Personnel, with a brother five years her senior.
He Jingyan had no affection for this mother and sister who had suddenly appeared in his life. The first time he met Qin Ruoyun, he stepped on the malt candy she offered him. He found it amusing to watch her cry while trying not to cry.
After that, Qin Ruoyun always avoided him whenever they met. Other than paying their respects to their parents each day, the two had little to do with each other.
The year Qin Ruoyun came of age, Minister He was falsely accused of embezzlement amid a struggle between princes. His family was stripped of its possessions and disgraced.
Her stepfather and birth mother both died in prison. He Jingyan escaped punishment because he had been serving as an official away from the capital and had earned a good reputation.
Just as Qin Ruoyun was about to be left homeless, He Jingyan returned to the capital to settle the aftermath.
She knew He Jingyan disliked her, but to survive, she had no choice but to hold on to his hand. “Brother, we're the only family each other has left in this world.”
“Family, though we're not related by blood?”
He Jingyan had no desire to take a burden along with him. But perhaps Qin Ruoyun looked too pitiful as she cried, or perhaps it was their father's dying wish. Either way, he took her back to the place where he was posted.
After the new emperor ascended the throne, he assessed the officials. He Jingyan was transferred back to the capital for his outstanding achievements. Later, when Minister He's wrongful conviction was overturned, the new emperor began relying on He Jingyan, and he quickly became a man of great influence.
But he showed no interest in women, so the families hoping to marry into the He family set their sights on Qin Ruoyun, who was still unmarried. They claimed the marriage had been arranged while Minister He was still alive.
He Jingyan made no response. With an amused look, he left Qin Ruoyun to decide for herself.
Meeting He Jingyan's gaze, Qin Ruoyun rejected the match without a moment's hesitation.
After the visitors left, He Jingyan took her hand and embraced her from behind. “Little sister, don't forget what you said. We're the only family each other has left in this world.”
If they were all each other had, where was there room for anyone else?
Qin Ruoyun turned around with a trembling body and hugged him back. “I know, Brother.”
He Jingyan gently stroked the ends of her hair, contentedly enjoying her dependence on him. From the day he took her away, it was destined that they would rely on each other for the rest of their lives.
Reading guide: pseudo-incest, both leads have only been with each other, possessive coercive romance
This man is the little sister's obsessive pursuer. On the surface, he says he doesn't like her and considers her a burden. In truth, he goes mad if she so much as looks at someone else. He regularly uses moral codes and propriety to frighten her, telling her that she's too young to know better and might climb into her brother's bed, when in reality he's delighted by the thought.
Blurb revised: June 17, 2026
Theme: Never lose hope.
