Guarding Grace

Currently updating: A Leaf Falls in Huainan. The blurb is below~

[Kind reminder: The main text has been extensively revised and differs substantially from the pirated versions online. Writing takes a lot of effort, and the book is very affordable. Thank you for your support~]

Wei Rong is the eldest princess of the kingdom, noble and dignified. She has everything, except the man she loves: Xie Yun.

He was by her side for ten years, through spring, summer, autumn, and winter. She had thought they were childhood sweethearts who shared an innocent affection, but in the end, during the hardest time of her life, Xie Yun petitioned to marry and wed the eldest daughter of the Wang family.

Wei Rong remembered that day: a wedding procession stretching for ten miles, red silk winding from the gates of the Xie residence all the way to the Wang family home. She watched from afar, then turned and walked away against the flow of people.

For the next three years, she lived in the bitterly cold north, fighting on the battlefield, with no thought of when she might return.

Three years later, she was summoned back to Zhongzhou by imperial decree for her younger brother's wedding.

When she saw Xie Yun again, Wei Rong was impassive and cold as ice, but every time Xie Yun saw her, it felt as if a knife were twisting in his heart.

Then, by a twist of fate, the two traveled south together on official business. As one mystery after another was unraveled, tears streamed down Wei Rong's face.

So that's what happened.

[Excerpt 1]

The day after she learned he had requested permission to marry, she climbed into the Xie residence at night. She and Xie Yun had done this many times before.

But when she saw him that night, he looked at her coldly and said, "Your Highness, you are overstepping your bounds."

She didn't care. He was the only person she had ever loved. Though she had become more restrained since her father's death, she still had a reckless, carefree streak at heart. Now all she wanted was an answer.

"I hear you want to marry a young lady from the Wang family?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I have feelings for her."

The snow that night was light, but the look in his eyes made her feel cold all over.

Though she heard him say it, she couldn't bring herself to believe him.

"You're lying. You don't even like women like her."

"Your Highness, people change. I once thought I'd become a general and guard our borders for the kingdom, but now I'm a civil official serving at court."

"So you once loved me, but you don't anymore?"

"I am terrified by your question, Your Highness. To me, you are no different from Zhao'er."

Zhao'er, Xie Zhao, was his half-brother, and he was seven years old.

So in Xie Yun's heart, she was nothing but family. His kindness to her was merely the care he showed a younger sister. She couldn't believe it.

She stepped closer and pressed him: "Do you dare say you never had feelings for me?"

His gaze was open and fearless as he answered plainly, "Never."

Wei Rong's eyes flickered. She staggered half a step backward, then gave a soft laugh. Her shoulders looked even more slender against the falling snow.

Never. What a very convincing never...

(I really, really, really can't write blurbs. This is killing me. Please, I beg you, just open the first three chapters and take a look yourselves. Sob.)

The heroine seems to have given up, while the hero loves her in silence and restraint.

Also known as: The Eldest Princess's Love Story

1. The aim is to make you ache a little, with a touch of political intrigue. The main story has a happy ending, but the extras have a tragic ending, so proceed with caution if that's not for you. (I call it a happy ending in spirit, tragic in reality.)

2. The leads are each other's only partners.

3. A short story, not too long. It's set in an imaginary dynasty, very loosely imagined, so please don't compare it to any real historical dynasty. Thank you

4. I started writing this during a stressful time, and my main goal was to keep it short. The prose, setting, and other elements may be a little lacking, so I hope you'll bear with me. After it's finished, I'll polish the writing without changing the plot, if needed.

5. Each chapter is short, so it's a good choice for passing the time before bed. You can dip in at random.

6. The hero and his wife are each getting something out of the marriage. She doesn't love him. She married him to protect herself and the child she had with the man she loves from being killed by her own father!!! After they married, the hero never laid a finger on her, so don't worry too much about it~

[Upcoming] A Leaf Falls in Huainan

[The heroine's version]

"One night in Huainan, I became aware of the waves on Dongting Lake."

Xia Huaiye's life began in humble circumstances. She has seen all the warmth and cruelty the world has to offer.

Yet she still has the capacity to love and be loved.

[Xue Chenghuai's version]

I could have had her, but fate was cruel and separated us. We would never have another chance in this life.

[Lu Qing'an's version]

I've loved one person since childhood, but I know that desire is something I should never have had.

[This story features]: Childhood sweethearts, the hero secretly loves the heroine, the hero's long road to winning her back, the second male lead gets the girl, aristocratic families and court politics, historical political intrigue, and a little domestic scheming.

[Setting]: An imaginary world, very loosely based on anything. Please don't read too much real history into it.

[Please note]

1. The male leads are numbered by order of appearance only, for ease of reference. They receive comparable attention, and the author has no preference between them.

2. One-on-one romance with a happy ending.

3. A purely historical romance, with no rebirth or similar elements.

4. A slow burn. Proceed with caution if that's not for you.

5. I have some chapters saved up, but not many. Updating daily for now.

Upcoming contemporary romance: He Is the Moon, also known as Romantic

[As remembered]

One day, Bai Yu and Chen Yan's daughter eats fruit while listening to Chen Yan tell her about their past.

When she learns that her dad had secretly loved her mom all along, she looks surprised. "For that long, and Mom never noticed?"

Chen Yan smiles. "Back then, your mom only cared about studying."

The girl doesn't believe him and goes to ask her mother. Bai Yu is sorting clothes. She stops what she's doing, looks at her daughter's tender little face, and smiles. "Back then, I think all I cared about was studying."

The girl doesn't believe her. She gets sulky. Adults always lie. They must be ganging up on her to trick her into studying.

[Monologue]

I used to think I'd never meet someone I loved who loved me back.

After all, with 1.4 billion people in China, how could I be that lucky?

I thought that when I reached the right age, I'd meet someone suitable. If we had enough to eat and wear after getting married, didn't argue, and never gave each other the cold shoulder, I'd be perfectly happy.

But I was so lucky. Fate gave me someone almost perfect, someone who taught me what love truly means and married me.

He loves me, and I love him.

That's enough.

In a nutshell: The hero has loved the heroine for years. A warm, comforting story with no angst. And please repeat after me: The one who arrives later can never beat the childhood sweetheart! Childhood sweethearts are the best!

Notes:

1. A domineering, intimidating hero who's actually flirtatious and considerate, paired with a seemingly carefree but actually sensitive and innocent heroine.

2. Both are top students, but the hero relies on talent while the heroine succeeds through hard work.

3. The hero is handsome, while the heroine grows on you.

4. The hero has loved the heroine since childhood. She doesn't know, but eventually falls in love with him too.

5. There's a reason the heroine doesn't believe in love. You'll find out as you read. If this story is about saving someone, then perhaps the hero saves the heroine.

6. It's not just about romance. Friendship and family also get their share of the story~

7. Some events are drawn from real life, either mine or perhaps yours.

(A little story with a realistic feel, quiet and focused on everyday life. There won't be any over-the-top, melodramatic youth-story scenes, and the leads won't just be portrayed as rich and handsome. There's a bit of my youth in here, and I hope you can find yours, too.) If you like it, please add it to your favorites and leave a comment~ I'm a rookie quietly writing away. I'm grateful to everyone who reads.

Theme: The nation and the people come before romantic love