How Could She Compare to Her Soft, Fragrant Charms?

Qingyin was born into a scholarly family, but after a sudden upheaval destroyed her home, she was sold to a procurer. Because of her striking, cold beauty, she was forced to become a dancer, until Bai Yu, the owner of the Red Sleeve House, came to her rescue. She was aloof by nature and rarely let anyone close, yet she regarded Bai Yu as a trusted friend. After Bai Yu left to follow her beloved to the ends of the earth, Qingyin took it upon herself to protect the Red Sleeve House. She shed her gentle composure, set aside the strict rules of propriety, and began maneuvering among the powerful and influential. Xiao Cheng, the Prefect of the Capital, was the first man she met. Born into a distinguished family, he was tall, dashing, and strikingly handsome. His heart was set on governing the capital, however, and he had little interest in women. The first time she saw him, she was in court against another party. Clad in a robe embroidered with a python and a jade belt, he sat stern and solemn on the bench, like a deity who could decide a person's fate with a flick of his fingers. The second time, she was being harassed by the son of a duke. He led men to arrest the offender, but when he faced her, his expression was cold and distant, utterly unmoved by her plight. She had always believed theirs was only a relationship between official and commoner, and that there could never be anything romantic between them. Until the banquet hosted by one of his colleagues. When they met there, perhaps because he had been drinking, his severe features softened a little. He even spoke up for her and took a drink in her place. That very night, someone drugged her. Unwilling to fall into the hands of a villain, she stumbled out of the room, only to crash into his solid, muscular chest. Remembering how considerate he had been at the banquet, she gritted her teeth and begged him for help. Bathed in moonlight, he stood tall and imposing, gazing at her with cold indifference. His entire presence was so intimidating that no one would dare approach him. She thought he would refuse, but his gaze darkened. After a moment of silence, he actually nodded... A cool beauty, gentle and composed, and a powerful nobleman, eight feet tall with an eight-pack. Synopsis for The General and the Widow: Lan Gu is the prettiest woman in the village, fair-skinned and shapely. Unfortunately, she is a widow, and she has a child in tow. The bachelors in the village secretly covet her and like to loiter outside her door whenever they get the chance. They say a widow's doorstep is a magnet for gossip. Though Lan Gu keeps to herself, she cannot escape people's wagging tongues. They say she is shameless and keeps lovers, leaving her deeply aggrieved. On the day she went to sweep her late husband's grave for Qingming, Lan Gu found an unconscious man with grievous injuries. Out of kindness, she took him home and nursed him back to health. Now the whole village had even more to say behind her back. Lan Gu felt more wronged than ever. To avoid being unfairly condemned, she made up her mind: she would keep this man, and make him her son's stepfather! From then on, she began showering the man with attention, batting her eyes at him and treating him with every kindness. * Huo Yu is a young general of the Northern Kingdom, renowned for his military exploits. But after the woman he loves and his trusted confidant betrayed him, he was nearly killed. He was later rescued by a village widow. He was not yet twenty, but carried himself with the composure and gravity of an older man. Still, in his heart, he could not help feeling a little arrogant. Though he remained polite and courteous on the surface, he quietly rebuffed the widow's advances. Inside, he thought little of her. How could a widow who had been married before and had a child possibly be worthy of him? But a young man's passions run hot, and a widow's charms are irresistible. Living together day and night in the same room was like flint striking tinder. It was only a matter of time before sparks flew. That time came quickly, and the flames burned fiercely. At first, Huo Yu intended to treat it as a brief fling. Once he returned to the capital, he would part ways with her. After all, he could not marry a widow who had been married before and already had a child. Even taking her as a concubine would be utterly absurd. But he never expected the woman to be the first to say they should go their separate ways. She gave him only two reasons: I thought you were an ordinary man. I never imagined you were a great general. I am only a common woman, unworthy of you. I thought you were in your twenties, but I never imagined you were so young. Forgive me, I was an old cow eating young grass. Then she suggested they never meet again. At that moment, for some reason, he felt an indescribable sense of grievance. Reader advisory: The heroine's son is her biological child. The heroine has only been with the hero, while the hero has been with others. May-December romance, with the woman four years older than the man. Farming life / everyday life / lighthearted The story of Lan Gu and her man from Beauty and the Minister. Theme: Women should rely on themselves