Pluck a Branch

My new novel, Springtime in Radiance, is complete. Thank you, my dears, for waiting so patiently~ [The full novel is complete, and many chapters have been carefully revised. Thank you so much for supporting the official release.] Sang Zhezhi was born with stunning looks and a graceful figure. After being pampered in the inner chambers for more than a decade, she learned that she was a false daughter. The person whose identity she had taken was a treacherous minister who held the court in the palm of his hand. Just as the famed beauty Zhezhi was coming into bloom, the powerful minister Xie Yu reclaimed his place in his family. The once-adored young lady of the Sang family fell into the mud in an instant, then was sent in a small sedan chair to become the concubine of a gray-haired prime minister in his sixties. On the day of her wedding, Zhezhi, trembling with fear, hid in Xie Yu's official sedan chair, still dressed in her bridal gown. The young man inside looked refined and gentle, nothing like the sinister, ruthless treacherous minister of the rumors. Zhezhi knelt before him, clutching the hem of his robe and begging, “Big brother, save me.” * After Xie Yu seized power, he did two things. First, he reclaimed his place in his family. Second, he betrothed the Sang family's young lady, who had taken his identity, to a lustful, elderly prime minister. On the day of her wedding, he had his official sedan chair carried along the Sang family estate. Sure enough, he came upon the desperate little bird, driven into a corner and fleeing in a panic, as she hid inside his sedan chair. He lifted the beauty's chin and looked at the lovely face, exactly as it had appeared in his dreams. The place over his heart where she had stabbed him with a gold hairpin in that dream seemed to ache faintly once more. Xie Yu's long, icy fingers brushed her throat. His voice was gentle and amused. “Who is your big brother?” [Bonus scene] At first. The powerful minister skipped court for days. When his colleagues asked why, Xie Yu replied with a faint smile, “I've recently acquired a pretty little bird. She's not very obedient and keeps thinking of flying away from me. I need to find a way to keep her by my side.” Later The treacherous minister knelt before the beauty's skirts, holding the gold hairpin from her hair against his own heart with both hands. His voice was tender and lingering. “Suixui, would you rather marry me, or go with me to the underworld?” Reading guide: 1. The leads get together before marriage. Please proceed with caution if this bothers you. 2. Both leads are virgins; happy ending. The setting is entirely fictional, so please don't nitpick historical details. Any inconsistencies can be considered my own inventions. This is a niche story. If it's not for you, please move along; no need to tell me you're dropping it. The story features a false daughter and a true son whose identities were switched. They are not related by blood, and their relationship is revealed and the misunderstanding resolved in the first chapter. This is not Stockholm syndrome. If you must call it something, it's Lima syndrome. (See Baidu Baike for details.) Weibo: @Jinjiang Pepper-Salt Little Sweet Treat. The synopsis was written on January 6, 2021, and has been screenshotted. [Please add my upcoming novel to your reading list] Married to the Eastern Palace: A Delicate Beauty × A Crown Prince with Two Personalities Jiang Mian became the crown prince's primary consort despite being a concubine's daughter. She and the crown prince lived together in perfect harmony, making everyone envious. But Jiang Mian knew that Rong Yin had married her only to make amends for their reckless night at the spring banquet. By day, the crown prince was gentle by nature and treated her with warmth and courtesy. He would do her makeup and arrange her hair, then brave the rain and wind across half the city to bring her a warm sweet cake made with osmanthus blossoms. But every evening, he would leave without a word, leaving her alone to sleep beneath the moon. Then, after a palace banquet, Jiang Mian rode home in the same carriage as Rong Yin. Rong Yin seized her chin with cold fingers, smiling icily. “This is the first time I've seen the Crown Princess since we were married.” The wildness of the spring banquet returned. Beneath the night sky, Jiang Mian met another Rong Yin: violent and unrestrained, like a demon from the depths of hell. * For nineteen years, Crown Prince Rong Yin had guarded a secret alone. A ferocious beast lay dormant inside him. Night after night, he watched himself tear Jiang Mian's finery to shreds, then clasp her throat, his eyes dark with menace. “Jiang Mian, if you dare take even one step outside the Eastern Palace, I'll snap your neck.” By day, he tried to make amends. He helped her into her finery, gently tied the sash at her waist, and whispered her childhood nickname by her ear. “Little Ying'er, stay away from him. If he loses control, he'll kill you.” * Jiang Mian's feelings for Rong Yin by day: respect, reverence, admiration. Rong Yin by night, toward Jiang Mian: humiliation, coercion, deception. More than once, he leaned close to her ear and coaxed her with a cold laugh “The one who made you a promise at the spring banquet was me.” “I was the one who asked for the imperial decree allowing us to marry.” “Jiang Mian, if you want to repay your debt, I'm the one you should repay.” A delicate beauty × a crown prince with two personalities Reading guide: 1. Both leads are virgins. The setting is entirely fictional, so please don't nitpick historical details. 2. The male lead has two personalities, which switch at dusk. They share memories. 3. The synopsis was finalized on February 20, 2022. Inspired by the story of the knight who grew warm and the witch. (This is only the source of inspiration; there is no original model.) [Please add my upcoming novel to your reading list] Springtime in Radiance: A Sweet Little Princess × Her Devoted Shadow Guard/Emperor Princess Li Xianyu of Jianing was a well-behaved child. The only rebellious thing she ever did was buy a cold, stern young man from the slave market on her birthday. Li Xianyu named him Linyuan and made him her personal shadow guard. Everyone in the palace knew that although Linyuan was handsome, he rarely spoke and had an exceptionally cold disposition. Even if a beautiful young palace maid fell into the water right in front of him, he would never reach out to save her. But whenever Li Xianyu called his name, no matter where he was or what time it was, Linyuan would appear by the princess's side and answer “I'm here.” Later The Rongdi invaded, their swords pointed at the imperial capital. The kingdom's fall was only a matter of time. The palace servants fled one by one as soon as they got the chance. In the end, even Linyuan, who had stayed silently by the princess's side day after day, stopped appearing. Everyone said Linyuan had abandoned the little princess and fled to save himself. Li Xianyu hid beneath her brocade quilt and cried all night. When she awoke, she stopped the people who were going to look for him, her eyes red from crying. After all, Linyuan was so skilled that he was sure to survive the chaos of war. As long as he didn't have to drag her, a useless little burden, along. * On the day the kingdom fell, the princess's hair ornaments were scattered, her skirts stained with blood, and it looked as if the Rongdi were about to violate her. A troop of cavalry burst through the enemy lines. At their head was a man in iron armor with a long sword, who cut a bloody path through the battle and rescued Li Xianyu. Li Xianyu heard the people around her address him as “Your Majesty.” Trembling, she lifted her head from his arms and looked at his cool, composed face, her voice choked with sobs. “Linyuan?” The man holding her kissed away the tears at the corners of her eyes and answered softly. “I'm here.” “I will be your subject for all my life, Princess.” *One-on-one romance, both leads are virgins, very sweet. Theme: Even in the darkest of times, never give up your hope for life.