Lotus Makeup

The Shen family, merchants in Jinzhou, had a daughter as beautiful as a heavenly maiden, fresh as a lotus just lifted from the water. But fate was unkind to her. She was sold into Huaxiang House, a brothel district in the capital. Madam Shi spent a month trying to train Shen Shiting, but she refused to comply. In the end, they drugged her wine and sent her into a room. The man inside was a notorious illegitimate son of the Duke’s mansion. She stumbled out through the door and pleaded with the one person she should never have asked. Lu Jiuxiao lowered his eyes, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. He crouched and gently took the girl’s chin in his hand. “Do you want to be with him, or with me?” Later, people all over the capital said that the Yongding Marquis’s heir had been a shameless libertine, yet in the end, even he had fallen. Lu Jiuxiao didn’t care. He lowered his head and toyed with the lotus-pink handkerchief. Tsk. Fallen? He had more than fallen. His very life was in her hands. - Lu Jiuxiao’s rakish friends all knew the three rules of this wildly hedonistic heir: First, he never touched an untouched girl. Second, he never let anyone spend the night in his bed. Third, he disliked women who cried. But later, his friends discovered that Lu Jiuxiao had not only touched that little girl, Shen Shiting, but had also been seen in broad daylight as she came crying out of his room. Then came a displeased voice from behind her. “Shen Shiting, go ahead and cry again. See what happens.” The man’s next words carried a hint of irreverent indulgence. “I’ll let you bite me back. Can you stop crying now?” His friends gaped. If you’ve been bewitched, just blink! Reader’s guide: 1. Some details and plot points have been revised. Please refer to the official version for the definitive text. 2. I’m terrible at writing blurbs. This was typed by rolling my face across the keyboard; the novel itself is what matters. 3. [Content warnings] The male lead is not a virgin; he is extremely promiscuous early on; there is mild insanity; he falls hard. The characters are imperfect, so perfectionists should beware. Please don’t judge them by modern standards. This is a melodramatic story with many potential triggers, so it may not suit readers with a lot of dealbreakers. If it’s not for you, feel free to drop it. 4. Set in a fictional world, very fictional indeed. Please don’t nitpick the historical details. [2019-09-13] ----Coming soon: Startled Sparrow------ Blurb: Yu Jin is the legitimate daughter of the Yu family, the military governors of Lingzhou. Her status is noble, her father and brothers dote on her, and she has grown into a pampered girl who insists that even every strand of her hair be perfectly arranged. But then disaster strikes the family. Her father and brothers go off to war and never return; there are no bodies. Her stepmother abandons her former gentle manner, and Yu Jin is forced into a bridal sedan on her way to the capital for a political marriage. During her escape, Yu Jin loses her footing and falls unconscious. When she wakes, she faces her savior, the Prince of Nanqi, whose rumored indifference is so severe that women hardly dare approach him. After much thought, she gathers her courage and calls him, “Brother.” Meeting his icy gaze, Yu Jin holds her breath and earnestly makes up a story. “My head hurts so much. I can’t remember anything else, only you, Brother.” From then on, the Prince of Nanqi’s household has a little young lady living there. With nowhere else to go, Yu Jin has to set aside her usual pampered ways. Every day, she walks on eggshells while acting out a one-sided tale of deep sibling affection. But as she keeps up the act, she discovers that Shen Que seems to be taking it even more seriously than she is. Over time, the people in the prince’s household realize that they haven’t simply gained a young lady. It seems more like they’ve gained a mistress of the house. Later, the Yu father and sons return victorious. When Yu Jin hears the news, she packs her belongings and tries to leave quietly. A man waiting by the wall says calmly, “Where do you think you’re going?” Yu Jin twists her ankle in fright. “Oh, I-I was just going to look at the scenery…” Shen Que carries her inside and bends down to hold her ankle and examine the injury. Yu Jin quickly refuses. Shen Que says matter-of-factly, in a light tone, “Why are you hiding? Am I not your brother?” Yu Jin: …TvT Little scene The military governor is heartbroken. He assumes his delicate daughter must be living in utter misery, so he rides day and night to the Prince of Nanqi’s residence. But when he sees Yu Jin’s every gesture full of the refined airs of a noble young lady, she seems even fussier than before. Faced with the military governor’s astonished expression, Shen Que calmly says, “It’s fine. She’s a young lady; there’s no need for so many rules.” Yu’s father: ? That’s ridiculous. The niece who had been subjected to countless rules since childhood: ??? That’s completely ridiculous! Past and present lives I must have loved her very much in all those years I can’t remember. Theme: Braving every obstacle until dawn