The Little Cook in the Chancellor's Residence

My upcoming novel, "The Jade Lock of Your Heart", is being drafted and will launch on April 28. The blurb is below. Feel free to add it to your collection and let it build up!

[Blurb]

[Arrogant, fiercely protective male lead X cool-headed, clever female lead]

Three months ago, she was jilted. Three months later, the prime minister came to ask for her hand in marriage. The capital was abuzz with gossip: just what was Li Yunshuang capable of?

To honor his mother's dying wish, Zhao Lin'an reluctantly went to propose. He assumed Li Yunshuang would refuse, but not only did she accept, she started checking the accounts like a proper mistress of the household on the very second day after their wedding.

Her audit revealed that the prime minister's residence was short on silver, so she proposed opening a restaurant to make money. He tried to make things difficult for her, but his schemes kept backfiring. In the end, he had no choice but to sign an IOU and use her dowry to open the restaurant.

The new restaurant in town served all sorts of unusual dishes: steamed egg custard, sweet rice puffs, hot-and-sour noodles, sizzling grilled meat, lamb skewers... Everyone was curious how the owner of Xiaochun House came up with so many different dishes.

Watching Li Yunshuang make her restaurant a roaring success, and even earn a plaque inscribed by the emperor himself, Zhao Lin'an completely forgot how reluctant he'd been at first. He stood tall and proudly announced to everyone, "This is my wife!"

The people of the capital: So the Li family's young lady is good at cooking!

One day, a group of ministers went to Xiaochun House.

Before the dishes were served, a young cook came over and gave the prime minister a bowl of hot soup.

"Warm your stomach first, sir. Then the wine won't make you feel so bad."

The others exchanged knowing glances. His disciple poked him under the table: You can't betray Shiniang!

Zhao Lin'an: ...

After the meal, the young cook took off her apron and said softly, "Lin'an, let's go home together in a little while."

Everyone gaped.

Zhao Lin'an shot his disciple a meaningful look.

"Allow me to introduce my wife, your Shiniang."

One-on-one romance, both leads' first relationship, a sweet little story

[Blurb for "The Jade Lock of Your Heart"]

Beneath the nine layers of palace walls lie countless sordid tales: kingdoms destroyed, lands changing hands, brothers turning against one another, and fathers murdering their sons.

Those who plotted in secret never would have guessed that Xie Zhaoyu's arrival would change the fate of the entire Great Qi imperial family. To outsiders, Xie Zhaoyu was nothing but a spoiled, carefree princess who spent her days enjoying herself and getting entangled with the general's heir next door.

Xie Zhaoyu originally meant to use Pei Yanjun's status as the heir to the marquisate, but changed her mind the moment she saw his face. He looked exactly like the person she had loved in her previous life. Unable to bring herself to be cruel to him, she kept him by her side and protected him in every way.

At first, Pei Yanjun was suspicious of Xie Zhaoyu's identity and wanted nothing to do with her. He even deliberately kept his distance when she pursued him. But later, as memories of his previous life came flooding back, he remembered just how important Xie Zhaoyu was to him.

Then one day, Xie Zhaoyu suddenly realized that the heir who used to fly into a rage whenever she flirted with him had started flirting back!

That day, Xie Zhaoyu was sweeping the field at the gambling house, and no one else dared sit down at the table. Just as she was about to leave, Pei Yanjun took the seat across from her.

Xie Zhaoyu grinned and asked, "What are you willing to bet, Young Lord?"

"Whatever Your Highness commands."

Xie Zhaoyu smiled seductively, deliberately trying to rile him up. "If I lose, all the money I won today is yours. But if you lose... you have to kiss me."

To her surprise, Pei Yanjun only smiled faintly, his eyes fixed on her as he murmured:

"Deal!"

One-on-one romance, both leads' first relationship, happy ending. A little angst in the middle, followed by lots of sweetness. Maybe a story of one-sided salvation?

[Beautiful princess who alternates between sweet and completely unhinged] X [Straightforward, warm-hearted sunshine of a general's heir, cold on the outside and kind within]

The setting is very loosely based on history, mixing court politics with the martial world, and features some flimsy political scheming.

Not reborn. Includes past-life and present-life elements, as well as a substitute-lover trope.

The female lead is no pushover and will kill.

The author is reliable about finishing stories. Come say hi!

Theme: Love is like cooking: it takes time and care.