Stealing Someone Else's Beauty

[1]

In the seventh year after Jing Su was named Crown Prince, he fell for a delicate beauty as slender and graceful as a willow branch.

She walked past beneath a twenty-four-ribbed paper umbrella in the spring drizzle, her bright, captivating gaze catching his eye for just an instant, yet finding its way straight into his heart.

But the beauty was already another man's wife.

A gentleman does not take what belongs to another.

Unfortunately, Jing Su was no gentleman.

He was relentless. Whatever caught his eye, whatever he wanted, he would find a way to seize and make his own.

He would not rest until it was etched into his very bones and blood.

[2]

Liu Ning first met His Highness the Crown Prince beside a spring pond in the palace, its waters rippling gently.

The young Crown Prince stood there, his hair bound beneath a jade crown, dressed in a loose robe and sash, as elegant as a jade tree. His eyes, when he looked over at her, were clear and gentle.

Liu Ning lowered her head shyly.

But in her heart she thought, This man must be easy to fool.

Who could have guessed that, in trying to fool him, she would become prey caught in his web... imprisoned in the palm of his hand day after day, unable to escape.

Sickly scheming beauty vs. seemingly gentle but secretly dark, obsessive man

[Reading Guide]

1. The leads are each other's only romantic partners, and this has a happy ending. The heroine starts out as another man's wife, for a reason. The hero does not fall deeply in love with her right away; his feelings develop gradually.

2. Both leads are schemers, not wholly good people. If that's not your thing, read with caution.

3. This novel has 80% anti-piracy protection.

4. An alternate world with plenty of original settings. History buffs, please go easy on me~

5. Updates every other day.

Coming soon: Rebirth: Stirring Up Trouble, featuring a flirtatious beauty x an aloof, untouchable man. Visit my author page to check it out~

[Blurb]

With her exceptional beauty and cunning, Gu Wansha made her way through the imperial harem until she became the Emperor's most favored consort.

But her good fortune did not last. Within just a few years, the country fell, a powerful minister usurped the throne, and the foolish Emperor laid all the blame for the nation's downfall at her feet. She became the wicked, ruinous consort everyone cursed, and eventually met a tragic end.

Given another life, Wansha no longer dreams of wealth and glory or of being the most favored woman in the six palaces.

She only wants to survive.

She sets her sights on the powerful minister who usurped the throne in her previous life. She watches him carefully, wracks her brains to please him and get his attention, hoping that when the dynasty changes one day, he will spare her life.

But all she gets in return is his indifferent gaze

and a cool warning: "Know your place."

Though surrounded by countless blossoms, he never lets any of them catch his eye.

*

He is like a mass of snow and ice that will never melt, impossible to warm and keeping everyone at a distance.

After Wansha hits a wall time and again, one day she suddenly realizes that she doesn't have to stake everything on him.

There are plenty of capable, fierce men under his command. Each will become a famous general or noble lord one day. She can pick any one of them, and he could keep her safe... For instance, his trusted personal guard is tall, handsome, and seems like a good choice.

But before Wansha can make her move, he grabs her wrist and pulls her somewhere secluded.

Shadows conceal half the man's face. His eyes seem to hold fragments of drifting ice, and his restrained, hoarse voice brushes her ear.

"...You've been stirring me up for so long. Are you really going to end it just like that?"

*

Shen Yu saw through her from the start. Beneath her gentle, charming manner lay nothing but empty flattery and calculated tricks.

But at some point, without realizing it, his heart quietly fell into her hands.

So be it. He was willing to take the bait.

Theme: In this vast, drifting world, there will always be someone who understands and saves you, so you no longer have to be alone