Pearls Joined, Jade United

Completed historical romances: "Back Before the Prince Consort Turned Evil" and "Spring Is Waning" Currently serializing: "The Red Candles Went Out in the Bridal Chamber Last Night" Story blurb: Li Lianzhu lost her father young and grew up poor. To earn a living, she took the name of her twin brother and was sold into the city as a child servant. Sun Hebi was born into a wealthy merchant family. Clever and studious, he was determined to take the imperial exams, but an accident left him disabled and put an end to that dream. Afterward, he gave up on himself and shut himself away, living day after day without joy. By then, Li Lianzhu had become the household steward. Like the other servants, she dreaded dealing with the eldest young master, who was solitary, ill-tempered, and unpredictable. But as they slowly got to know each other, she discovered that the eldest young master was actually easy to get along with. He was just a little too interested in her. To keep her identity from being exposed, she had to be on guard at every turn, even finding a man to impersonate her in order to put an end to his feelings once and for all. But things didn't go as planned. He didn't give up. After a struggle, he was willing to become a man who loved another man for love's sake... Later, once Li Lianzhu fell for him, she was deeply troubled: He loves men. What am I supposed to do? Reader notes: 1. I've done my best, but there are bound to be a few plot holes in a story about a woman disguising herself as a man to make a living. Perfectionists, read at your own risk. 2. The male lead is disabled but determined, and he's a sharp-tongued, scheming tsundere. The female lead only wants to work and is a little slow to recognize her own feelings. 3. There's a little household intrigue, and the silly, adorable side characters bring plenty of laughs. This is an old story, and the word "gaped" appears a lot. It looks awkward now, but I don't want to change it. 4. Set in the Northern Song dynasty. Don't take the historical details too seriously. Everything except the general setting is made up. 5. Both leads are each other's first and only partners. Happy ending, devoted to each other, nothing explicit, and a fairly short story. Theme: The road is hard to navigate, but luckily, I have you by my side.