Stealing Her Heart

Zhao Furino is the legitimate daughter of her family, but after her mother died young and her father remarried, her status as the legitimate daughter became awkward.

Her father doesn't care for her, and her stepmother doesn't love her. Fortunately, her childhood sweetheart, Lu Qingyan, treats her like a precious jewel. When they became engaged, Lu Qingyan promised that once he passed the highest imperial exam, he would marry her in grand style.

Zhao Fuli prayed for him before the Buddha every day, and at last he passed the exam. But before she could even see him, she received a letter breaking off their engagement.

It was sent by his second uncle, Lu Ran, a rising star at court.

His fearsome reputation was enough to stop children from crying. Zhao Fuli thought her childhood sweetheart had sent him to intimidate and chastise her. But as she sobbed until she nearly fainted, Lu Ran reached out and firmly caught her.

"Do you want revenge?"

Lu Ran's low, husky voice coaxed her like a devil. "Marry me, A Li. From now on, whenever you see Lu Qingyan, you'll be his elder. Tell me... what do you think his face will look like?"

Zhao Fuli agreed.

At her request, Lu Ran held his wedding two days before Lu Qingyan's.

On the wedding day, the bridal procession stretched for miles, and the emperor himself attended. Just as she and Lu Ran finished their bows, screams rose from the crowd:

"Something's happened! The top scholar is coughing up blood!"

Perhaps Lu Ran was afraid she would soften, because he held her hand tight and wouldn't let her leave. Little did he know that beneath her red veil, Zhao Fuli's eyes had curved into crescent moons.

Her beloved had coughed up blood and fallen unconscious. This was the best wedding gift she could have asked for.

To protect his family's honor, Lu Ran went off to war. He was lucky enough to earn a reputation as a victorious general.

When he returned in triumph, everyone praised his courage and prowess to his face. None of them knew he could hear people's thoughts, and that they all wished he would hurry up and die.

In the midst of his irritation, Lu Ran heard a voice:

"What's so great about being a general? He's covered in wounds. If he were my husband, I wouldn't have the heart to let him go to war."

Lu Ran looked up and saw that the voice belonged to his nephew's fiancée.

His nephew's fiancée? Well, he had his eye on her now.

From now on, Zhao Fuli would be his wife.

An extremely protective, mature daddy-type man x a clear-headed, decisive beauty who holds a grudge

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A few things to know before reading:

1. Forced marriage and groveling for forgiveness. The hero is nine years older than the heroine.

2. The blurb was screenshotted on December 19, 2022.

Theme: Life is full of surprises.