Lure Her into the Cage

Blurb One:

Pei Yan, heir to the Duke of Zhenguo and a close confidant of the emperor, has been entrusted with inspecting officials on the emperor's behalf. His authority is immense. Rumor has it he is domineering and ruthless, shrewd and calculating, and despises people who curry favor.

While inspecting Xuzhou, he has Tao's father arrested and thrown in jail. The Tao family exhausts every avenue to no avail, so the eldest daughter, Tao Yunzhu, has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. Yet every time she meets Pei Yan, he humiliates and rejects her.

Until one night, when Tao Yunzhu kneels before Pei Yan, her skin as fair as frost, her dark hair piled up in a delicate style, her waist so slender it fits in one hand. Only then does Pei Yan accept her with a cold smile.

Born into a family of learned, upright officials, she has always been proper and well-mannered. At least this time, she guessed what he wanted.

After that night, Pei Yan keeps his promise. He treats it as a transaction freely agreed to by both parties. From then on, they go their separate ways and have nothing to do with each other.

But he never expected to be the one who fell into the trap, experiencing for the first time the agonizing longing for a woman that keeps him awake night after night.

Blurb Two:

Tao Yunzhu comes from a prominent family in Jiangyin. Since childhood, she has strictly observed the rules of propriety for women, never daring to stray beyond the bounds of custom and etiquette.

She knows Pei Yan is a nobleman and an imperial relative, far above her in status. He is also the lead investigator, while a member of her family is under investigation. His interest in her is nothing more than a passing whim, sparked by her beauty. He only wants to play around.

Thankfully, this is a transaction in which both parties know exactly what they're doing from beginning to end.

As long as her family is safe, she will leave at once, without looking back.

But she doesn't know that the moment she walks away is the moment he falls.

He lures her into this cage.

From then on, their fates are entwined, and neither love nor hatred can fade.

Reading notes:

* The hero takes advantage of her when she's vulnerable. He's a real bastard, very much like a dog.

* The heroine is a great beauty, but no helpless little rabbit.

* One true pairing, happy ending. More completed novels are available in my collection.

Theme: Don't wait until you've lost someone to regret it