How Did the Beautiful Bride I Picked Up Turn Into a Man?

[A chivalrous, hardworking young lady with overflowing boyfriend energy vs. a cross-dressing, top-tier green tea schemer, the heir to a noble house]

Zhong Yao figured she must have transmigrated without paying for a better life!

Because the person she'd transmigrated into was not only fat, but ugly, too.

She was timid and weak, and everyone bullied her. Her betrothed kept demanding to break off their engagement.

Along the way, she picked up a beautiful young lady and raised her like a BJD doll.

The young lady was soft and sweet, thoughtful and gentle, and when she cried, she looked as delicate as a pear blossom in the rain. Her only flaws were that she was a little too tall and a little too flat-chested.

Zhong Yao became her gallant protector.

The young lady has no one to rely on? I'll work to support you!

Someone's bullying the young lady? Stay behind me. I'll deal with them!

The young lady wants to help with the chores? This is too tiring. Sit down, I'll do it!

She planned to raise the young lady until they were old, then hold hands and dance together in the square.

But an accident separated them.

Years later, Zhong Yao returned and searched everywhere for her young lady.

"Where's my young lady? Has anyone seen her?"

"Excuse me, sir, have you seen my young lady?"

"Wait, sir, why do you look a little like my young lady?"

-

After four turbulent years, the dynasty had finally settled down, and a new emperor ascended the throne.

Prince Ning, who had helped the new emperor, was renowned far and wide.

It was said that the prince was tall and burly, with a wild beard and fierce brows,

and that he was ruthless, cruel, and utterly merciless.

When the prince saw Zhong Yao again,

he gathered his courage and shouted, "I'm the young lady you've been looking for!"

Then he glanced down at the rolling pin in Zhong Yao's hand. His throat bobbed.

"I-I'm her cousin..."

Don't ask. That rolling pin was awfully thick and long...

#I thought I was raising a delicate heroine, but it turns out he's a green tea schemer of a hero!#

Reader's guide:

1. The heroine is fat and ugly at first, but she'll become beautiful later.

2. The hero has a green tea schemer's playbook. He's petty, resourceful, ruthless, and black-hearted. He's not a good person.

3. Younger gong, one-on-one, happy ending.

4. I drew the cover myself, so there's no copyright infringement, haha.

-----Upcoming story: The General's Got Some Nerve, Don't Be a Coward-----

[A steely female general who cowers in front of the crown prince vs. a crown prince who's fair-skinned, but black-hearted on the inside]

Ji Xuanzheng was a highly decorated female general of the Great Zhou.

She guarded the northern frontier. A hundred thousand soldiers obeyed her commands, and no one dared to trespass wherever her spear pointed.

And today, she did something huge!

She kidnapped the crown prince!

More precisely, she kidnapped the deposed crown prince. He'd not only lost his position as heir, but both his legs had been crippled, too.

Still, he had a handsome face, and even as a cripple, he won the favor of a princess from a neighboring kingdom.

The emperor was generous, and readily sent his son off to marry her.

The wedding procession passed through the northern frontier, and Ji Xuanzheng was ordered to escort it.

But no one could have guessed she'd steal the man right under everyone's noses and smuggle him back.

Why bring him back?

Obviously, to get revenge!

That's right, she had a grudge against the deposed crown prince. A huge one!

When he was still crown prince, she couldn't do anything to him. Now that he was in her hands, she'd make sure he saw just how cruel the world could be!

She gripped her whip and strode forward with all the swagger of someone who'd cut ties with everyone!

As her subordinates watched the deposed crown prince with concern, she kicked open the door and slammed it shut behind her.

Inside, a man sat in a wheelchair by the window, proud and refined as the moon over the mountains.

Hearing the noise, he looked up from his book and gazed at her coolly.

Ji Xuanzheng tightened her grip on the whip. She stared at him with a frosty expression, took a deep breath, and said, "Your Highness, are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

The man rested his book on his legs, smoothed his sleeve, and slowly curled his lips into a smile.

"Oh? General Ji, why are you holding a whip?"

Ji Xuanzheng: "I-I brought it for you to play with..."

--

Later, the deposed crown prince returned to court. Not only had his legs recovered, he also gradually reclaimed his position as crown prince.

On the day he was enthroned, the courtiers all thought, "Oh no." They couldn't help feeling sorry for General Ji, the daughter of the Ji family. They'd heard the new emperor had been kidnapped and subjected to all manner of humiliation by her before his coronation. Who knew what sort of revenge she'd face now?

Ji Xuanzheng was trembling, too. "If I die in battle now and have my body brought home wrapped in my armor, is it still in time?"

The former deposed crown prince, now the new emperor: "Heh. Too late."

#Take the wildest path while acting like the biggest coward.#

Theme: Be strong and persevere. Never bow to fate, no matter the circumstances.