First Light

The Regent was peerlessly handsome, yet cold-blooded and cold-hearted. Countless noble ladies fell for him, only to leave in disappointment. He made an exception for one little village girl. When the girl was still young, he brought her back to his manor. He bought her fine silks and satins, hired renowned tutors for her, and even comforted her himself whenever she missed home. Everyone knew she had once saved the Regent by chance, but no one knew that back then, she had willingly gone hungry to feed him. To win the Regent's favor, the noble ladies all tried to get close to Xiaoxiao. Late at night, Xiaoxiao clutched the purse in her hands, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. #Sob, I don't want to help them# #They keep sneaking glances at Brother, too. I'm upset. I want to hide him away# Before the little girl came of age, there were so many suitors that they practically wore down the doorstep. Xiaoxiao turned them down one after another. The Regent asked, "You really haven't taken a fancy to anyone?" The young emperor gave her a look, urging her to be brave. Xiaoxiao's heart pounded like a drum. Almost without thinking, she pointed at the Regent. But when she met his deep gaze, she panicked, and her finger ended up turning toward the young emperor beside him. The young emperor: ... Late at night, Pei Xiuhan pulled her over to him. "What do you like about him? That he's young and accomplished? Or that his harem is empty?" Meeting his dark eyes, Xiaoxiao's lashes fluttered. "Th-then, how about I like you?" Pei Xiuhan's breath caught. He almost crushed her slender waist in his grip. He had always thought he had won the little girl through threats and temptation, and kept a close watch on her, never letting her see the young emperor. That was, until one day, he came across her treasured keepsakes. Content warning: She only falls for him when she's grown up. Slow burn. New story, please add it to your favorites: "Reborn, I Married My Third Uncle" by Mo Zizhe (now serializing) Zhong Li was the stepdaughter of the Marquis of Zhenbei. She had a face beautiful enough to bring ruin to a kingdom, and even at a young age, she made several of her stepbrothers throw propriety to the wind. No one knew that the person she admired was the young master of the household's maternal relatives. When her stepbrother drugged her, she summoned all her courage and broke into his room. But he turned around and climbed the social ladder, causing her death on the day of his wedding. To her surprise, she was reborn, only to return to the very day she was drugged. The young master, who had also returned, was waiting for her to throw herself into his arms. He had never expected his fiancee to poison Zhong Li. Only after she died did he understand what it meant to be heartbroken. In this life, all he wanted was to stay by her side. He waited and waited, but she never came. Furious, he searched everywhere, only to find her in her third uncle's room. The girl's eyes were sultry, her cheeks flushed, and she was weakly leaning against the man, her slender fingers clutching his lapel tightly. Her third uncle, usually wicked and mercurial, had a glint of interest in his eyes as he let the girl kiss him. "A Secret Little Baby" by Mo Zizhe The Crown Prince Pei Xing was peerlessly handsome, yet aloof and chaste, avoiding women like the plague. He didn't consummate his marriage with the Crown Princess in their three years of marriage. It wasn't until the Crown Princess angrily divorced him that rumors of the Crown Prince's impotence suddenly spread throughout the court. Memorials calling for the Crown Prince's removal arrived in increasing numbers each day. Lu Ying was the illegitimate daughter of the Lu family. She was gentle and lovely, and had always been grateful to the Crown Prince for saving her when she was young. When she learned of the Crown Prince's predicament, she knelt devoutly before the Buddha and prayed softly, "May Buddha bless His Highness with a Crown Princess he loves as soon as possible... and may he also consummate his marriage soon..." Behind the prayer flags, Pei Xing gazed at the pale, slender nape of her neck, his eyes dark. That night, Lu Ying had a "dream" that made her blush and her heart race... When she awoke in the morning, her cheeks were burning, and she felt terribly guilty. Unexpectedly, after she returned home, her belly began to grow bigger by the day. While she was panicking, an imperial decree of marriage suddenly arrived at the Lu residence. On her wedding day, Lu Ying's belly was already slightly rounded, and the whole capital was in an uproar. People said the Crown Prince had married her only to claim the child in her womb... Theme: After hardship comes the light