Cherished

[Update notices are for revisions to locked chapters!] [Complete! Please read the content warnings before you start! My new novel, "Beauty Is a Many-Splendored Thing," is now available. Visit my profile to check it out!] Before Wei Yaoyao's father died, he bought her a child bridegroom. Song Heyuan was a good student, handsome, and good to Wei Yaoyao. Deeply moved, Wei Yaoyao gave him most of her savings to pay for his journey to the capital to take the imperial exams. She happily waited for him to pass with flying colors and return home to marry her. But Song Heyuan never came back. Instead, news arrived that he was engaged to a noblewoman. It turned out he was the young master of the Duke of Zhenguo's household, who had gone missing sixteen years earlier. He and the noblewoman were a perfect match, equals in status and a fine couple. Furious, Wei Yaoyao packed her bags with tears in her eyes and went to the capital to collect her debt. But on the way, she fell into hardship, suffered a disaster, and lost her memory. Someone sent her to become the Duke of Zhenguo's heir's concubine. Meng Shucheng, the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo, passed the provincial exam at fifteen and came first in the palace examination at nineteen. His career flourished and his record in office was outstanding, making him the youngest grand secretary of the dynasty. Everyone said Meng Shucheng was refined and reserved, disciplined and proper. Even the people in his household thought so. That is, until someone caught sight of the upright, dignified Lord Meng with his hair loose and clothes in disarray, his composure gone as he held his concubine and called her "Jiaojiao." Later, people said that his life was one of glory, and the only thing he ever did out of character was marry his concubine as his principal wife. [Coming soon: Historical romance "My Cousin Heard My Inner Thoughts." If you're interested, visit my profile to save it!] Lu Zhi was born into a distinguished family. Refined, elegant, and impeccably proper, he rose to a high position at a young age and became renowned throughout the land. Zhu Yizhen was sickly from childhood. Her family doted on her, afraid she might fall if they held her too tightly or melt away if they kept her in their mouths. After her parents died, her maternal aunt, who had married into the Lu family in the capital, took her in. Lu Zhi had always kept his distance from his delicate, sickly cousin who had come from far away. After an accident, Lu Zhi found he could hear Zhu Yizhen's thoughts and sense her emotions. From then on, he had to look after Zhu Yizhen's feelings at every turn. When she got angry, he bought her a gold hairpin to comfort her. When she was unhappy, he bought her fine clothes to cheer her up. When she fell ill, he searched everywhere for the best medicine. He even offered to deliver a letter to her sweetheart so she wouldn't be sad. Meanwhile, tucked away in her room, Zhu Yizhen secretly wrote in her diary: "A Few Things About My Cousin Having a Crush on Me." Unable to take it any longer, Lu Zhi finally knocked on her door and warned her, "I'll give you the hot spring villa outside the capital. Just stop imagining things." Zhu Yizhen silently added another line: "What am I supposed to do when my cousin loves me too much?" Reader's Guide 1. This is a fictional setting, so please don't scrutinize the history. The plot serves the romance. If you drop the novel, please don't tell me! 2. One-on-one romance, happy ending! 3. Content warning: The characters are thirteen years apart in age. The male lead is unmarried and has no concubines. If that's not for you, please don't read! The characters' identities are only for the story and have no relation to real life. Please don't read if you can't accept this subject matter! Please don't speculate about plot points that don't appear in the novel based on the blurb! No baseless insults! The author and readers who support the original are equals, and should treat each other with respect! 4. Weibo: @XiangyangKuiMe Theme: A beautiful romance takes effort from both people.