Crossing the Line

[Classic angsty melodrama. Read at your own discretion, and check the warnings first.]

Blurb: Xinyi is a little flower spirit, born of nature, with no one to rely on. One day, Lu Ji, famed as the foremost swordsman, declares his love for her in front of everyone. She is at a loss, but the aloof Lu Ji of the rumors keeps pursuing her.

He rescues her from a den of demons, gives her pearls, and tells her about all kinds of new things, like transmigration and girlfriends.

Xinyi doesn't understand what a girlfriend is, but she gradually falls in love with the Lu Ji who is nothing like the man in the rumors. To everyone's envy, they soon set a date for their wedding.

Their wedding feast is the grandest in all the realm. Xinyi believes she has found her ideal partner, but after he lifts her veil, Lu Ji's personality changes completely.

In a cold voice, he says, "I'm not 'him.' That person took over my body and married you. Now 'he' has left my body. I have no intention of taking a wife, and I have no feelings for you. Please understand."

Xinyi has never heard of anything so strange and assumes he's joking. The next moment, Lu Ji destroys their marriage certificate with his own hands.

Xinyi accepts it. If it was all a misunderstanding, then the marriage is annulled. But their bond remains unresolved, so she has no choice but to stay in the immortal mountains for now.

From then on, the two are still married in name, but strangers in practice. Rumors spread throughout the immortal mountains, saying that Xinyi comes from humble origins and could never last.

Xinyi says nothing and quietly does what is expected of her.

One day, Lu Ji turns back into "that person" and says "he" has returned. He is extremely considerate toward her.

Though Xinyi feels guilty toward the real Lu Ji, she is truly drawn to this tenderness. The two consummate their marriage, and their love grows deeper than before.

It should have ended there, until another "him" appears.

His hair is cropped close, and his face has changed beyond recognition, but his tone and affection are exactly the same. He says he transmigrated many times for Xinyi and has finally returned.

Xinyi realizes that this is the person who first fell in love with her.

But if "he" has only just returned now, then the person who has been whispering sweet nothings with her all this time... was the real Lu Ji?

---Reader's Guide---

◎ Lu Ji is the male lead. A transmigrator, the male second lead, possessed his body and soul, but later Lu Ji returned to normal. Much later, the transmigrator came back in his modern body.

◎ The full story has been expanded by ten thousand words and carefully revised. The complete, accurate version is only available on the current Jinjiang edition. The alternate-route extra is relatively self-contained and follows a different path. If you like short stories, you can read it as one.

◎ Ordinary, resilient girl × aloof immortal, the flower atop the mountain. The aloof immortal descends from his pedestal. The male lead starts off haughty, then later loves someone he cannot have and grows gloomy and obsessive. The genre and character types are clearly laid out, and both sides make their own choices. Enjoy!

Warnings: The theme is "Only because we are within these mountains." The romance and plot revolve around the theme and go through ups and downs, so this isn't a purely sweet story. There are sour and sweet moments. Supporting characters are of all genders and each has good and bad sides. The blurb is only an excerpt; there are many hidden circumstances in the main story, and each character has their own perspective. See the author's note in Chapter One for details.

---Coming Soon: Mandarin Ducks in Disarray---

Both reborn | A villainous couple joins forces to take revenge

Jiang Jinyue, the daughter of a merchant, has been reborn.

She died horribly in her previous life, and now she only wants a short-lived husband with power and status to use as a stepping stone for revenge.

As luck would have it, Shen Yan, heir to the marquis's estate, needs a wife to bring him good fortune. Jiang Jinyue remembers that he didn't survive the winter in his previous life, so she chooses him.

She happily marries into the family and spends every day hoping he'll kick the bucket. But three months later, Shen Yan is not only alive, he's even strong enough to wield a spear and mount a horse.

Jiang Jinyue: What happened to the short-lived husband?

Shen Yan, heir to the marquis's estate, has also been reborn.

After making one wrong move in his previous life, he decides this time to marry a pretty idiot as a pawn. After considering all his options, the merchant's daughter Jiang Jinyue is the best fit.

But after they marry, Jiang Jinyue turns out to be far too clever, making him delay his plans again and again.

Shen Yan: How did she get so smart?

On a moonless, windy night, the two are each out taking revenge when they happen to run into each other while burying bodies.

A person lies at Jiang Jinyue's feet. With an innocent look in her eyes, she says, "Husband, believe me. He fell into the river on his own."

Shen Yan calmly snaps the neck of the person in his hands. "Don't be afraid, dear. He killed himself, too."

Their eyes meet, and both sense something is off. "Were you reborn, too?"

From then on, the couple's nighttime activities become especially eventful.

"Tsk, you missed with that knife. He's not quite dead yet."

"Hah, that poison wasn't strong enough. He's opened his eyes again."

With the couple working together, plotting wicked deeds, their revenge takes off at full speed.

After they both achieve their goals, Jiang Jinyue happily prepares to find a new husband.

But Shen Yan calmly locks the door. "You're my lawfully wedded wife. Did I say you could divorce me?"

Theme: Only because we are within these mountains