Hidden Beauty

Lu Yuntan was the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Pingnan's household. Her mother died when she was young. After her father remarried and his new wife gave birth to her half-siblings, Lu Yuntan was pushed to the margins of the household. Fortunately, the Crown Prince, Li Mingyan, later brought her into the Eastern Palace. During the eight years she lived in the Eastern Palace, Li Mingyan treated her like a father and an older brother, and kept her under strict discipline. Lu Yuntan respected him. She did not dare call him “Brother,” and could only address him as “Your Highness.” She was even afraid of him deep down, obeying the strict rules and never daring to cross the line. No one knew that Lu Yuntan loved him even more, loving him to the point of madness. She secretly kept strands of his hair, as well as his paper and handkerchiefs.// His Highness sent me a bolt of embroidered silk. In front of all the palace maids, I tucked it into the very bottom of a chest. After nightfall, I secretly took it out and pressed it against my skin. I wanted Your Highness's hands to tear it to pieces, your scorching lips to suck and bite my earlobe, and your distant eyes to gradually fill with desire. It was the most intoxicating dream I had ever had.// But she understood that this noble, aloof Crown Prince had never felt anything for her. . In the eyes of the court, the Crown Prince Li Mingyan was like an immortal descended to earth: aloof and noble, with character and ability surpassing all heirs apparent of the past. This perfect Crown Prince had always been disciplined and scrupulous. His only breach of propriety was to disregard the rules of etiquette and keep that little girl from the Marquis of Pingnan's household close in the Eastern Palace. Everyone thought His Highness had simply taken pity on the little girl whose mother had died young. But Li Mingyan alone knew that what he felt for her was more than pity. For her, he felt obsession and a desire to possess. His urge to control her took all his strength to restrain, and he was consumed day and night by the madness of wanting to keep her confined at his side. . At last, one day The little box containing all of Lu Yuntan's secrets was knocked over, scattering all the Crown Prince's things across the floor. She hurried to pick them up, only to meet Li Mingyan's unfathomable gaze. He advanced toward her step by step. At last, those impossibly noble hands covered her eyes and gripped her slender waist, leaving her no chance to escape. His low voice curled around her ear: “So you've been having such a hard time holding back...” Content warning: 1. The male lead is 26, the female lead is 16, and there is a 10-year age gap. 2. The male lead is extremely restrained and patient early on. The female lead seems obedient on the surface. They have a mutual secret crush. Please add my new novel, After Escaping the Regent, to your reading list! When Ling Zhao was eight, she was sent to the Regent's manor with nothing but a bundle of belongings. The tall, noble man crouched down and gently wiped the crumbs from the pastries she'd sneaked from her face. He said earnestly, “From now on, this is your home.” He was Xie Changheng, the most powerful man in the Great Liang Empire. During the years she lived at the manor, Xie Changheng honored her parents' dying wishes. He raised and protected her, taught her to read and write, and trained her to ride and shoot. He was exceedingly strict with her, yet in private he patiently soothed her. He fulfilled the duties of her father and older brother. They should have been as close as siblings, caring for one another. But Ling Zhao alone knew that she harbored a growing, possessive desire to claim him. She thought she could lock that desire away, keeping it a secret no one would ever know. But when she was sixteen, drunk and having wandered into Xie Changheng's room by mistake, she confessed her girlish feelings to him His deep, fathomless eyes were filled with shock and surging anger. He helped her put her clothes back on, one piece at a time, then said coldly, “Get out.” The next day, he left for war. For three years, there was no word from him. Not long after he returned, he brought a gentle woman back to the manor and said, “She'll be your sister-in-law from now on.” The gentle look Xie Changheng gave his sister-in-law was one he had never given Ling Zhao. . Ling Zhao moved out of the Regent's manor. She wanted nothing more to do with Xie Changheng. She had to make plans for herself. After a night banquet in Shengjing, rumors of an affair spread like wildfire. That night, Xie Changheng came to her residence. His dark, abyss-like eyes burned with fury, like a storm about to break. “I can't believe I raised you to be so shameless.” He held himself back, restraining his anger as he advanced toward Ling Zhao step by step. His voice was utterly emotionless. “You dared to climb into my bed at sixteen. I thought you'd changed, but it seems you still dare to seduce other men.” He gripped her chin hard. With his other hand, he unclasped the belt at his waist and stared at her moist, red lips. “Do you have to make me angry?” . He should have crushed this filthy heart of his. But when had it become filthy? He could no longer remember. He only remembered how his heart had pounded and pounded. It made his back go cold, his hands sweat, and filled him with utter panic. Theme: Face everything together and build a beautiful life.