[Coveting His Subordinate's Wife]
A damp, gloomy male ghost who can't be warded off with even a scattering of rice X a mild-mannered, honest man who loves life
[Blurb]
In the second year of Yun Ling's marriage into the Liang family, she accompanied her husband, Liang Zhen, to the capital for the spring examination.
The bustling capital dazzled Yun Ling, who had grown up in the countryside. But she kept in mind that she had come to look after her husband's daily needs, and took meticulous care of Liang Zhen.
When the spring examination results were posted, Liang Zhen ranked near the bottom, and his prospects looked bleak. Dejected, he told Yun Ling, "This year's examination was overseen by Cui Taichu, the Crown Prince's Assistant Director. If I were fortunate enough to become his protégé, I might have a chance to stay in the capital."
Yun Ling handed Liang Zhen her jewelry box and said softly, "This concerns your future, my lord. There's nothing I can do to help, but you can take this box."
Liang Zhen accepted the box, deeply grateful.
But in the end, he never managed to deliver it. Liang Zhen didn't even get to see Cui Taichu, and was soon sent to Pingwu County to serve as an official. Yun Ling went with him. They had left behind the prosperous capital, but she thought Pingwu County was a lovely place too.
Until one day, a red-lacquered carriage rolled into Pingwu County.
Cui Taichu had been dismissed from office and rejected by his family. Driven out of the capital, he fell ill on the way and was stranded in Pingwu County.
After making inquiries, Liang Zhen learned that Cui Taichu might one day rise again. He decided to cultivate a connection and attach himself to the man.
Cui Taichu was seriously ill, with no one attentive to look after him, so Liang Zhen sent Yun Ling to care for him personally.
Though Yun Ling came from the countryside, she knew she shouldn't attend so closely to a man who wasn't her husband. But Liang Zhen pleaded with her, and in the end she could only take meticulous care of Cui Taichu for the sake of her husband's future.
Once an untouchable darling of heaven, Cui Taichu was now idle, stripped of his position, stranded in a foreign place, and frail with illness. He had grown suspicious and unpredictable.
He saw right through Liang Zhen's ambition and despised him. He was even colder to Liang Zhen's wife, Yun Ling, complaining that the food was too bland, the medicine too hot, and the room smelled musty.
Yun Ling was dissatisfied with his constant demands, but for her husband's future, she gritted her teeth and endured them.
Gradually, Cui Taichu grew accustomed to Yun Ling's care. He came to enjoy her thoughtfulness and attention, as well as... her scent.
Cui Taichu knew his thoughts were filthy, yet he let them grow wilder and more intense.
He would deliberately touch Yun Ling's wrist and gaze for a long time at her pale, graceful neck.
He would imagine what she looked like when she made love to Liang Zhen, all soft and clinging.
He would paint her emerging from a bath, then masturbate to the picture.
Half a year later, the Crown Prince ascended the throne. An imperial decree arrived in Pingwu County, promoting Cui Taichu to head of the Central Secretariat.
That night, Liang Zhen went to call on Cui Taichu with a fortune in gifts, saying he wished to become his protégé and serve him loyally.
Cui Taichu, dressed in a dark cloak over a green robe, leaned back in his armchair. He didn't so much as glance at the brocade box, and said softly:
"Offering money as your go-between is rather perfunctory."
Liang Zhen immediately dropped to his knees, his voice trembling:
"Please tell me what you have in mind, my lord."
Cui Taichu considered for a moment.
"How about trading your wife for a fourth-rank post in the capital?"
That night, Yun Ling, drugged, was sent to Cui Taichu's bed.
And Cui Taichu never gave Yun Ling the chance to turn back.
*
The female lead is not a virgin; the male lead is. Happy ending.
Blurb saved on June 3, 2026.
Theme: Be sincere when you connect with others.
