Crossing the Clear Light

[Bonus chapters to come] [PS: This book isn't very well written, so I don't recommend reading it.] - Yu Qingguang was the county magistrate's daughter. When her father was sent to prison, she was sold to a brothel as a courtesan who had yet to entertain a client. Later, someone came to her with an offer: he would buy her freedom, rescue the Yu family, and give her a large sum of money. But he had one outrageous condition. She had to stay by Yan Rong's side, cure him of his bad habits, and guide him onto the right path in life. Yan Rong was the legitimate second son of Prince Yu, and a notorious wastrel in the Houli dynasty. Only fifteen, he was spoiled rotten by the Empress Dowager. He had never applied himself to his studies and spent his days loafing around. The person who approached Yu Qingguang was none other than Yan Rong's own father. "He's actually quite reasonable and won't beat or scold the servants. He's still young, so he won't try anything with you, either. Don't be afraid." And so Yu Qingguang was assigned to Yan Rong. She diligently played the part of a pitiful, miserable woman crushed by the world, alone and with no one to rely on. She went on about how hard life was and how a person should hold their head high. She played the zither and sang, until Yan Rong was utterly charmed and began to feel sorry for her. Before long, the young tyrant finally gave up his wicked ways and began to study hard. Then, as arranged, Yu Qingguang was supposedly burned to death in a great fire and vanished without a trace. Seeing his son utterly devastated, Prince Yu was secretly delighted. But aloud, he sighed with regret. "Human life is so fragile. You never know when someone might be gone. Sigh. We should do something worthwhile, so we don't leave this life with regrets." From then on, Yan Rong shut his heart to love, entered officialdom, and set out on the right path in life. · After buying her freedom, Yu Qingguang took her money and her whole family to Yingzhou, far from the capital, where she settled down and ran several shops. She lived a very comfortable life. Until four years later. The Yingzhou governor was imprisoned for corruption, and Yan Rong came in person to take him into custody. There, he ran into Yu Qingguang's wedding procession. The young man rode through the streets, raising a passing breeze that lifted the curtain on the bridal sedan. He saw a face more familiar to him than any other, yet one that now seemed utterly strange. The demure, gentle expression and the beauty mark on the tip of her nose were the face he dreamed of night after night, the one he longed for but could never have. Yan Rong finally realized that the months they had spent together had been a carefully plotted deception. So he reined in his horse, turned back, and blocked the bridal sedan, making the boldest decision of his life. Yan Rong glanced toward the bridal sedan as the soldiers behind him caught up. "The person inside." He gave a faint smile, his eyes so indifferent that they revealed nothing. "Take her away." When Yu Qingguang returned to Prince Yu's estate, she thought Yan Rong would greet her with furious accusations and wrath. Instead, she learned that her father's wrongful conviction had been overturned, he had been promoted and summoned to the capital, and she and Yan Rong were to be married. But even on their wedding night, Yan Rong didn't look at her once, much less say a word to her. During the nine days of leave after the wedding, Yan Rong stayed in his study the whole time. Yu Qingguang knew he was deliberately doing this because he was angry with her, so she didn't go out of her way to provoke him. For all nine days, neither of them sought the other out. The study. Yan Rong opened a book, then closed it. He picked up his pen, then put it down. He couldn't focus on a single word. At last, he slapped the book onto the desk, a trace of irritation showing on his face. His attendant cautiously came over. "Young Master, what's wrong?" Yan Rong pressed his lips together. After hesitating for a while, he finally lost patience and ordered, "Tell her that if she doesn't come back soon, I'll have to attend court tomorrow." Attendant: ? Didn't we agree that we absolutely wouldn't be the first to back down? - * Both are each other's one and only; happy ending. * The heroine isn't perfect. The people she meets find healing in one another. * This is a fictional setting, so please don't nitpick details. If you find anything uncomfortable, please stop reading. [Reason for entering the competition: The heroine grows from a weak woman who only knows how to avoid problems into someone who faces hardship without fear, firmly pursues the person she has chosen, overcomes obstacles, and reaches a perfect ending.] 2022.12.11 Next book: My Master, I Don't Want This Either - A sweet heroine who doesn't realize she's flirting VS a cool, aloof master who falls for his own imagined romance - Ling Yin is a mortal, but she grew up in a cultivation sect. Her senior brother is her childhood friend. He's born unlucky and always gets into unnecessary trouble because of his kind heart, but he puts her first in everything. Her master is strict and cold toward her, yet he raised her with his own hands and took care of every little thing. She thought she would simply live out her life like this, growing old and eventually dying. Until one day... Her senior brother was struck by disaster after saving the goddess of Guixu. Her master, who had raised the two of them, had his immortal bones ripped out and died in the calamity as well. When Ling Yin opened her eyes again, she was back at the moment her senior brother had just brought the goddess up the mountain. Her unlucky senior brother was standing outside her room, asking her to change the goddess's bandages. Ling Yin: ... Ling Yin looked at him calmly, walked past him, then turned and pushed open her master's door. * Jiang Jinyi had lived alone for ten thousand years and had taught only two disciples in his life. One was Ling Yin, a mortal girl he had found at the foot of the mountain. The other was Xie Huaiji, born with an evil bone and sent to him to cleanse the baleful energy within him. The two children grew up leaning on each other and became the closest companions in the world. But after Xie Huaiji brought a girl up the mountain, he noticed something. Ling Yin, who used to cling to her senior brother, no longer secretly cried and ran to Xie Huaiji after being punished for failing to master a technique. Instead, she ran into his room again and again with tears on her face. Ling Yin came to see him more and more often, and pestered him for affection more and more. She even told him seriously, "I like Master more than I like Senior Brother, so whether it's cultivation techniques or food and clothing, I want better things than he gets. Master has to treat me better, too." He rubbed Ling Yin's head and smiled warmly. "All right. I'll give you the best." He thought the girl's appearance had caused a rift between the two children, and planned to find some time to ask about it. But then, one day... After Ling Yin had styled his hair as usual, she behaved unusually and leaned against his shoulder. She caught hold of a strand of his silver hair and spoke softly and affectionately, almost as if she were dreaming. "Master, I hate Senior Brother. Can you expel him from the sect?" Ling Yin looked at him with an earnestness he had never seen before. "I only want to be with Master." Help... I'm sorry the blurb is so long. I didn't think it would get this long, either. Please accept my apologies (bows). Theme: Though the sea may press bamboo low, it will rise again; though the wind may darken the mountains, the light will return.