No Escape

Lu Ning of the Duke of Han's household holds high office and great power, and is peerlessly handsome. Countless noble young ladies in the capital secretly adore him. Only Shen Jiao knows that in her previous life, he was cold-blooded and ambitious. She married him in her older sister's place, but less than two years later, he staged a rebellion, and she died miserably as a result. Reborn, Shen Jiao wants nothing more than to stay far away from him and live a peaceful life. In the middle of the night, she suddenly wakes to find him standing beside her bed. His long, jade-like fingers brush over her brow and eyes, then come to rest on her lips. His gaze is dark and inscrutable. Shen Jiao can't stop trembling. After marrying him again, she is always on edge. One day, she accidentally breaks his most treasured piece of jade. Terrified, her face goes pale, and her pent-up nerves finally snap. She decides to let it all go and smashes another piece. When he comes to demand an explanation, he merely glances at the mess on the floor, then carries her to the bed. "Did you hurt yourself?" Shen Jiao's heart trembles. "I... I did it on purpose!" All she wants is for him to fly into a rage and give her a letter of divorce. The maids and servants all think she's done for. But the man doesn't even raise an eyebrow. "If you like breaking things, Jiaojiao, I'll have them bring all the jade from the storeroom tomorrow." Shen Jiao is baffled. It isn't until she somehow becomes empress that she understands: he's been pining for her for a long, long time. After she died in her previous life, he went completely mad. A recommendation for my upcoming novel: Historical Romance: First Light by Mo Zizhe Xiaoxiao has no family to rely on and grows up poor and pitiful. When she is twelve, she finds a man by the river. Though covered in blood, he is peerlessly handsome, like a fox spirit who has fallen into the mortal world by mistake. Xiaoxiao secretly hides him away. Though she never has enough to eat, she still cares for him for three months. When he leaves, he abducts her and takes her to the capital. Only then does Xiaoxiao learn that he is the rumored Regent, a ruthless man whose achievements overshadow even the emperor's. And she, once a girl from a small village, has suddenly become the precious one he protects. Everyone knows the Regent practices an unorthodox art and is destined to live without desire or emotion. Countless noble ladies have fallen for him, only to leave in disappointment. Yet he makes an exception for one person. When the girl is still young, he brings her back to his estate, buying her fine silks and hiring renowned tutors. When she misses home, he even comforts her himself, doting on her as if she were his daughter. The noble ladies all try to curry favor with the Regent by befriending Xiaoxiao, thinking that winning her over will bring them close to success. But they don't know that, late at night, Xiaoxiao clutches the purse in her hand and tosses and turns, unable to sleep. #I-I don't want to help them at all.# #But tomorrow I'll have another excuse to bother Big Brother.# Bonus Scene: Before Doudou's coming-of-age ceremony, suitors practically broke down the door, but she rejected them one after another. The Regent leaned against his desk, convinced he'd worried himself sick. "You really haven't taken a fancy to anyone? Whoever you like, I can drag him right over to you. Don't be afraid." The young emperor gave her a meaningful look, urging her to be brave! Xiaoxiao's heart pounded. She pointed at the Regent without thinking, but when she met his deep gaze, she panicked and her finger curved around to point at the young emperor beside him. The young emperor: ... Meeting his uncle's icy stare, the young emperor hurriedly explained, "Uncle, she clearly wants to marry you!" Xiaoxiao: ...No, I don't! Secretly Carrying a Little One by Mo Zizhe ① Lu Ying is the illegitimate daughter of the Lu family. When she was young, the Crown Prince once helped her, and she gave him her whole heart. But news of the Crown Prince's private affliction suddenly spreads throughout the court, and petitions demanding his removal arrive in ever greater numbers. When she learns of his predicament, she kneels devoutly before the Buddha and prays softly, "May the Buddha bless His Highness and help him share a bed with someone soon..." That night, Lu Ying has a "dream" that leaves her blushing and breathless. When she wakes in the morning, her cheeks are burning. Feeling guilty, she changes her prayer: May His Highness have an heir soon. Unexpectedly, after she returns home, her belly grows bigger by the day. Just as panic sets in, an imperial decree announcing her marriage arrives at the Lu residence. On her wedding day, Lu Ying's belly is already slightly rounded, and the whole capital erupts. Everyone says the Crown Prince is marrying her only because he wants the child in her womb. Lu Ying knows her status is low and has never dared hope he might love her. To repay his kindness, she humbles herself almost to the dirt. When he finally ascends the throne, she thinks her role is done and she can leave with her dignity intact. ② The Crown Prince, Pei Ming, is peerlessly handsome, yet cold and obsessive. He avoids women like the plague and despises calculating women who scheme at every turn. But at the Temple of the National Protector, he is tricked into losing control and touching her. Disgusted by her underhanded methods, he never sets foot in her chambers after they marry. She goes to great lengths to win his favor and, after their wedding, acts gentle, kind, and obedient. He watches coldly, unmoved. But her wiles are so effective that just as he resigns himself to accepting her flaws and making a life with her, she dies tragically before his eyes. Three years later, the emperor is still tormented by nightmares every night. While traveling south, he suddenly sees her standing beside a man, looking as lovely as ever. The little girl in her arms is as exquisitely beautiful as a jade carving, and looks just like her. His gaze turns sinister, his blood surges, and he spits out a mouthful of blood. Lu Ying startles and instinctively hides the child in her arms. Theme: My fate is mine to decide, not Heaven's.