My Cousin Thrives by Playing the Sweet, Innocent Type

The roads were crowded with horses and carriages, and the red earth was fragrant and soft. Within Chang'an, a flourishing city bustled with prosperity. The sons of the rich and powerful threw their weight around, swaggering through the taverns. A delicate beauty stood to one side, on the verge of tears. A few words from her were enough to make anyone feel sorry for her. The little beauty wept pitifully, winning the sympathy of everyone who saw her. Even the young rich idler lowered his head, feeling he'd behaved terribly by bullying such a frail woman. The junior official of the Court of Judicial Review rode past and saw it all from afar. He gave a cold laugh. It was just a woman's trick, yet she'd managed to fool everyone so thoroughly. Pathetic. Who could have guessed that evening, when Assistant Minister Lin returned home after work, he would walk in to find that same "frail and helpless" young woman swinging a pair of iron hammers weighing over two hundred pounds with fearsome force, her smile bold and bright? His father told him, "This is your distant cousin. She's come to Chang'an to stay with us." Assistant Minister Lin fell into a long silence: … His cousin had two entirely different sides to her. · Ever since his cousin came to Chang'an, Assistant Minister Lin hadn't seen her sit still for a single day. With her consummate "tea-art" skills, she thrived in Chang'an. She moved among the city's powerful families, and every man in town was completely infatuated with her, convinced she was understanding, gentle, and considerate. At last, one day, Assistant Minister Lin's friend happened to notice something was amiss. Frowning, he said to Lin, "There's something off about your cousin." He looked up to see his little cousin standing not far away, her eyes misty with tears. She ran over and tugged at her cousin's sleeve, looking utterly wronged as she said softly, "Brother, your friend doesn't seem to like me very much. I understand. I get it. I'll leave right now and won't bother you two, okay?" Assistant Minister Lin was silent for a moment, then turned to his friend and said, "You should go." Friend: "????" The little cousin steadied her "tottering" body and sobbed softly: "What bad intentions could a little sister possibly have? All she does is worry about her big brother." Upright, incorruptible, slightly stingy Assistant Minister cousin x delicate, scheming, immensely strong younger cousin Theme: Love you, mwah