The Female Tutor

See the essays at the bottom of the author's page for extras, updated irregularly.

That year, the entire Wei family died defending the city, including their still-young daughter.

Twelve years later, a young tutor arrived at Prince An's estate. The tutor was strict, and even the prince could not utter a word of objection.

Yu Xingchu had stolen this life, and she dared not waste it.

"Your Highness, you shouldn't say that."

"Your Highness, you shouldn't think that."

"Your Highness, you shouldn't do that."

Shouldn't, shouldn't, shouldn't!

Zhou Zhaoyuan had heard her say "shouldn't" far too many times. At last, he grabbed her by the shoulders and gritted his teeth. "Tutor, in your eyes, does nothing matter except the throne?!"

"That's right."

"Including yourself?"

"That's right."

"What about me?"

Yu Xingchu raised her eyes, her lips moving slightly. Zhou Zhaoyuan didn't get angry. Instead, he laughed, suddenly let go of her, and stepped back. "Fine! Fine! Fine!"

Yu Xingchu used the life she'd stolen to bring peace to the realm, but she wronged that one person above all. In the dead of night, she could always remember those three words, each one striking through her heart.

Until one day, someone laid a hand on her head and called her once more: "Tutor."

A local-born heroine, not reborn.

Currently updating: Older Sister

Yan Zhiyao was an orphan from a family of generals. She was fortunate enough to be adopted by the Marquis of Cheng'an and his wife as their goddaughter. Everyone in the household respectfully called her the eldest young lady, but one person never once spoke kindly to her.

The first time they met, the young man bent down maliciously. "Miss Yan, you didn't move into my home just because you coveted my good looks, did you?"

Then, as she glared at him in anger, he laughed. "But I advise you to give up on that idea!"

He was the young master of the marquis's household. Yan Zhiyao knew he hated her, blaming her for taking the place of his late elder sister, so she silently put up with his tantrums.

Little did she know that on the eve of her wedding, the young master would grip her wrist tightly. "Yan Zhiyao! Listen carefully. That man is no good. You are not allowed to marry him!"

At that, Yan Zhiyao simply pried his fingers off one by one, raised her eyes, and said each word distinctly: "Pei Chengyuan, in all fairness, you ought to call me Older Sister."

That night, the always-gentle eldest young lady of the marquis's household flew into the greatest rage of her life and personally shoved him into the pond.

Everyone knew that the young General Pei and the newly arrived eldest young lady didn't get along. But they didn't know things had gone so far that he wouldn't even attend his elder sister's wedding. They heard the young master had left for the borderlands immediately after a huge argument.

Pei Chengyuan was gone for three years. When he returned, he had been pierced by several arrows.

Looking at the unconscious man, Yan Zhiyao panicked. "Pei Chengyuan! What is this supposed to mean?! You say other men are no good, but what about you?"

After a long pause, a hand pressed down on her head. The man spoke hoarsely, weakly boasting: "Nonsense. Other men really are no good. I'm different. I'm amazing..."

#Sort of a fake crematorium trope

Theme: How can the world be so clear and pure? It only takes someone to set aside their own interests and sweep away the dust of the mortal world for everyone.