Synopsis
[1]
Prince Ling is the most powerful non-imperial prince in Great Chu. He commands an army of a million soldiers, and with his boundless ambition, his power rivals that of the empire itself.
The Prince Ling's estate has a sweet, lively, well-behaved young concubine.
Prince Ling is peerlessly handsome and widely admired, but beneath the surface he is ruthless. No one dares show the young concubine any disrespect.
To win Prince Ling's favor, the emperor plans to marry off his most beloved princess to him. The princess is renowned for her beauty and has long cherished feelings for him, so Prince Ling has no reason to refuse.
He expected the young concubine to be upset and make a scene. Instead, she smiled and offered him her congratulations.
For no reason he could fathom, Prince Ling felt a pang of frustration. She wasn't jealous. Did that mean she didn't like him?
[2]
Yun Zhi is an easygoing optimist who is content with little. Her father taught her from childhood to face everything with a positive attitude. After becoming Prince Ling's concubine, she figures that having a maid to wait on her and money to spend means she can happily laze around, eating and drinking to her heart's content.
The only downside is Prince Ling, who brought her here and keeps her aching from all his nightly exertions.
When she hears that the princess is going to marry into the prince's household, Yun Zhi is overjoyed. This is wonderful! The princess is as beautiful as a goddess, so Yun Zhi can relax and laze around to her heart's content!
On the wedding night, she is woken by a familiar bout of exertion. Dazed and disgruntled, she wonders why the prince is here. Where is the princess? Why does she still have to wait on him?
"Are you distracted?" Prince Ling abruptly stops, his eyes dark and his tone dangerous. Seeing her suddenly shake her head like a rattle drum, he understands. As punishment, he moves more forcefully, leaving Yun Zhi with tears at the corners of her eyes, begging for mercy again and again.
*
Three years ago, Prince Ling first met Yun Zhi in the capital. She was a beautiful young lady, doted on by her parents, and she left a rare impression on him.
Three years later, he returns to the capital, now a man of considerable power, and sees that Yun Zhi has fallen on hard times. Though he has never been interested in women, he makes an unprecedented offer: would she be willing to go with him?
Yun Zhi freezes. What does "go with him" mean?
Then she thinks of her current circumstances. Afraid he'll change his mind, she grits her teeth and answers brightly, "I will."
She never expected that this uncertain journey, where life and death were up in the air, would give her a place to belong for the rest of her life.
* A sinister, handsome, devoted prince VS a delicate, soft, lazy young woman
* Both are virgins, and the male lead has only ever loved the female lead, in body and soul
* A sweet romance with a touch of bittersweetness. No running away while pregnant
[Blurb screenshotted on June 11, 2021]
Thanks to bs for the anonymous illustration~
----- Preview of the upcoming novel, The Chief Councilor's Parasitic Vine
A lowborn cousin comes to the Marquis's estate. She is as beautiful as a hibiscus, graceful and delicate, and as meek and compliant as a parasitic vine, inspiring pity. Before long, she wins the heart of the heir to the marquisate.
A cousin from some backwater place has come to curry favor. How dare she covet the position of future mistress of the marquis's estate? She really doesn't know her place!
In an instant, A Wan becomes the target of everyone's scorn, through no fault of her own.
The heir declares that he will marry no one but her, then turns around and gets engaged to someone else. Just as everyone prepares to laugh at her, the Chief Councilor, a ruthless man wielding power over the imperial court, personally comes to ask for her hand in marriage!
Everyone is dumbstruck!
A Wan is dumbstruck too!
Chu Chen has been having strange dreams lately, filled with steamy, unspeakable scenes. Only after meeting A Wan does he realize that the woman in his dreams is her.
Along with these dreams, he suffers recurring heart trouble and difficulty breathing. Then one day, he takes A Wan's hand and is startled to find that the symptoms suddenly disappear.
This can't be a coincidence.
Later, Chu Chen remembers that in his previous life, A Wan was a songbird he kept in a gilded cage. But he never realized that she wasn't as fragile as a parasitic vine, and that she could choose the most decisive way to leave him.
Chu Chen's heart twists with pain, but it's already too late.
If there is a next life, he will cherish her in the palm of his hand and never let her cry from sorrow. Otherwise, may he suffer the unbearable agony of heart disease.
In this life, A Wan is both his poison and his cure.
[Bonus scene]
A Wan's eyes turn red, quickly welling with tears that are about to fall.
Chu Chen immediately frowns, his voice instinctively turning stern. "Don't cry!"
A Wan is startled and forces back her tears, feeling utterly wronged.
Chu Chen sighs inwardly, pulls her into his arms, and softens his voice as he comforts her. "It's all right now. If you want to cry, then cry in your husband's arms."
1. In his previous life, the male lead took A Wan by force and treated her like he was above it all, never knowing how to cherish her. He's a bit of a scumbag, but he has already learned his lesson. Please avoid if that bothers you.
2. A Wan has nothing but terrible love interests, except for the male lead (his previous life doesn't count).
3. As is customary, one male lead and one female lead, both virgins.
Theme: Maintain a positive attitude.
