My Cousin Becomes My Wife

Cool and indulgent powerful minister of a cousin X carefree little cousin who realizes things a little late

Sweet romance | 1v1, both virgins | No substitute trope | Mild past-life plot

Xu Qiqi is the daughter of a merchant family. She lives carefully as a dependent in the Duke's manor, keeping her distance from her cousin Lu Yao, a brilliant young man to whom she is not related by blood.

But her usually cold and arrogant cousin treats her exceptionally well. When the Xu family falls into ruin, he even uses his vast influence to save them. He has just one condition: she must repay him "with her own body."

Only later does Xu Qiqi learn that she is a fortunate stand-in. She looks very much like the woman Lu Yao truly loved, who has already passed away.

Xu Qiqi has always been carefree. Once she realizes Lu Yao desires her but does not love her, she actually relaxes and agrees to this "deal" without a care.

When she sees that Lu Yao still hasn't made a move, she even steels herself and says, "Cousin Lu, better to get the pain over with sooner rather than later. Let's do it tonight!"

Lu Yao's Adam's apple bobs. After a long moment, he says hoarsely, "Let's wait until after we're married."

Xu Qiqi thinks she must have misheard. "What, you still want to marry me?"

Lu Yao's gaze darkens. "Hm?"

Xu Qiqi shrinks her neck in fright and mutters, "It's not that I won't, but that would cost extra..."

My completed sweet romance, Concubine of the Powerful Clan, is available in my author profile. Come check it out!

[Please add my next book, The Crown Prince's Unexpected Match, to your reading list]

Gentle and devoted healing beauty * Scheming, skilled actor of a crown prince

Marriage first, love later | The moment he falls hard | 1v1 in body and heart, happy ending

At ten years old, Jiang Qingyue did something worthy of being recorded in the history books:

Relying on the empress's favor, she successfully forced the crown prince to marry her.

Unfortunately, on their wedding night, the empress passed away, and Jiang Qingyue was sent back to the Duke's manor to observe mourning.

For the next eight years, she never returned to the Eastern Palace, because Lu Yao wouldn't allow it.

Amid rumors and mockery, Jiang Qingyue remained as gentle and quiet as ever, never voicing a complaint.

Until the ninth year, when Lu Yao found a beautiful woman and hid her in the main hall of the Eastern Palace.

In a remote courtyard of the Duke's manor, Jiang Qingyue, bedridden with illness, overheard the servants whispering about how the cold and desireless Crown Prince had lost himself in a tender romance, and how he held that young woman in the palm of his hand...

After a brief pang in her heart, she smiled with relief and melancholy.

Trying to make amends for her past was wishful thinking, and a young girl's love was nothing but a foolish dream.

Perhaps her "husband" no longer hated her, but he would never love her.

Holding the golden seal of the Crown Princess, she asked to see Lu Yao and requested that her title be revoked.

"Do you hate me?" Lu Yao finally looked at her seriously.

Jiang Qingyue shook her head, her expression gentle. "I was young and foolish. I insisted on marrying you so I could call the empress Mother."

Lu Yao's hand holding the seal paused.

Jiang Qingyue felt as if she had awoken from a long dream and finally been set free. "After ten wasted years, I've come to my senses. Now that I see Your Highness has found a good match, I can only be happy for you. From now on, we'll go our separate ways and stop holding each other back..."

Before she could finish, Lu Yao, furious, kissed her hard.

"Come to your senses? Holding each other back?" He gritted his teeth. At last, a crack appeared in that godlike, perfect face. "The tears you shed day and night, the way you kept saying you loved me, it was all a lie..."

Theme: You never know what may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.