The Cousin in the Storybook

Qing Lanyin's father is the Governor of Yangzhou, and her mother is the Grand Princess. The emperor in the palace is her cousin, and the crown prince has to call her Auntie. She was named Princess Anle at birth, and her status is incomparably noble. When she was eight, she headed north to the Duke of Qi's mansion in Yanjing at her aunt's invitation. Before Qing Lanyin could even be happy, she suddenly had a strange, vivid nightmare. In the dream, she was the villainess in a romance novel. From the day she entered the mansion, she was constantly at odds with Mu Chi, the Duke's second son. Mu Chi was the crown prince's study companion and trusted confidant. Once the crown prince ascended the throne, Mu Chi would rise to the highest ranks and wield immense power. But he was cold and calculating, with a heart as black as ink beneath his handsome face. Anyone who crossed him met a terrible end. At the end of the story, Qing Lanyin, the wicked little cousin who had offended him, would have her bones crushed and her tendons severed, then be wrapped in a straw mat and dumped in the wilderness. Her parents would suffer because of her too: her father would lose his title and position, and her mother would be exiled beyond the frontier. The problem was, she had this dream too late. She'd just fought Mu Chi and pushed him into the water. Qing Lanyin: ...Blank stare (⊙o⊙) When she was eight, Qing Lanyin secretly slipped a piece of candy into Mu Chi's hand, coaxing him not to be angry anymore. The little girl wore two tiny buns in her hair and had a soft, pale face, like a little snowball. Mu Chi kept his face cold, but in the end he couldn't resist reaching out to hug her. That hug lasted eight years. When she was sixteen, Qing Lanyin was renowned throughout Chang'an, and everyone in and out of the palace was busy choosing a husband for her. After much deliberation, they settled on a young scholar who had come to the capital to take the imperial examinations. One spring day, as the flowers bloomed, Qing Lanyin shyly offered him a purse she had embroidered herself. Mu Chi returned from work with a packet of glutinous rice cakes he'd bought for her tucked in his arms. Standing behind a rockery, he watched it all with an impassive face. #You coaxed me, deceived me, and then dumped me. Who gave you the nerve?# PS: Sweet romance / not-quite-siblings / childhood sweethearts / possessive love The male lead is a genuine villain, the ruthless kind. Shameless, despicable, and guilty. The leads are two years apart. 2021.3.24 Theme: Grow toward the sun