The Mistake of Youth

[My new novel, Half a Lifetime of Joy, is now underway. The blurb for my next book, Years Drawn On, is at the very bottom. Please add it to your favorites!] Nan Zhi is an abandoned girl who is blind in both eyes. Age five: A pair of warm hands lifted her from a sea of blood and corpses. Someone said in her ear, "Don't be afraid. I'll take you home." It was the most beautiful voice she had ever heard. The carefree, unruly young man had an incomparably handsome face. He loved listening to opera and drinking wine, and there was never a shortage of girls around him. He treated her well. He combed her hair, put on her shoes, and took her hand as they strolled down the busy streets. He even kissed her delicate cheek. To her, he was everything. Age seventeen: The young girl, experiencing love for the first time, finally worked up the courage to confess her feelings. Behind the red gauze curtains, the elegant man set down the chess piece in his hand and said nonchalantly, "I've raised her all these years. It's time she repaid the favor." His subordinate asked, "What if Miss Nan Zhi doesn't want to marry?" "Do you think this prince has only one piece to play?" The peach-blossom letter filled with affection slipped from her hand and scattered across the floor. She froze, then laughed at herself. So she was nothing but a chess piece after all. That night, heavy snow fell. She broke the jade flute he had given her, cried for a long time, and never went looking for him again. . Everyone said that Prince Yue, who held power over the court, was a womanizer, proud and unruly. Later, the little girl he had raised suddenly disappeared. In an instant, a murderous chill swept across his eyes, revealing a bloodthirsty ruthlessness. He searched the entire capital and finally found his little girl. She was curled up pitifully in a corner, covered in snow. He went over, picked her up, and held her close. That day, the usually haughty Prince Yue was uncharacteristically gentle. He held the runaway girl, who was angry with him, and pleaded with her in a humble voice. The sharpness faded from his eyes, leaving only tenderness. *Reading Guide* 1. Both leads are each other's only partners, and the male lead is in love without realizing it. 2. The male lead is neither wholly good nor wholly evil. The heroine is blind, though that will change later. 3. There is an eleven-year age gap. Please add Years Drawn On to your favorites! She was the least favored princess. She was the child left behind after the emperor, drunk, slept with a maid. By the time she was seven or eight, she still didn't even have a name. She had a poor temperament, too. When summoned before the emperor, all she could say was "Mm" and "Ah." She stammered, barely managing a few words before blushing. In the end, she got nothing but her father's mockery and her brothers' and sisters' humiliation. Her birth mother was also made a laughingstock of the inner palace. Though she was unhappy, she was so dull-witted that all she did was feel hurt, get angry, then obediently fall silent. . One winter, her elder sister chained her hands and feet and buried her in the freezing snow for amusement. Just as she gave in to despair and waited to die, someone suddenly pulled her out. He wore bright purple robes and a black cloak. His features were exquisitely elegant and gentle, so handsome that she couldn't look away. He was her father's favorite courtier, Lord Haisu. He was also the only person in the palace who called her "Your Highness." She lowered her head and bowed, uneasy and flustered. A faint smile played on Haisu's lips. His expression was as calm as idle clouds in the sky. "Have you given up on yourself, Your Highness?" She stammered for a long time before finally saying, "I'm just a useless princess." Useless people born in this palace deserved to die. "Someone once told me that Heaven gives you your life, but you choose your own path." Lord Su, who held power in his hands, patted her shoulder. "You're better than all your brothers and sisters. It's just that no one has ever cared enough to notice you, so naturally, they haven't seen how wonderful you are." She froze, lowering her head even further, unsure what he meant. Lord Su bent down and leaned close to her. Smiling, he took in her slightly startled expression. "I noticed, so I'm here to help you. Your Highness could live out your life confused and resentful like this, while even the servants who wait on you look down on you." "Or," he said slowly, one word at a time, "you can choose to let me help you make everyone who ever stepped on you pay the price." Theme: Saving each other and growing together.