Stealing Springtime

Originally titled Return to Spring: [After faking his death and disappearing, he became her servant.] As a flower girl in the Marquis's manor, Li Shaohuan was treated with great affection by the young Marquis Pei, who saw her as a substitute for the woman he could never have. Pei Zhanxi had once arrogantly believed that the little flower girl he had pampered for two years would never give up the wealth within her grasp. But she ran away. Three years apart, she was thriving in Jianglin. Then word came that he had died, and she rescued a man at her own farm. The man had narrowly escaped death on the battlefield and lost his memory. She hid him in her home. He became her young male servant. The man who had once stood high above everyone now lowered his eyes and said, “I am at my mistress's disposal.” Under the gauze curtains, gazing at peonies through spring tears, all he could say was… “Please show mercy, my lady.” Later, the Marquis of Dingyuan, whose power reached across the court, returned from war. The first thing he did was corner her in front of the peonies. He pressed her at every step. “Lady of the house, your servant has returned to await your orders. Please show mercy, my lady.” Don't run. You won't get away this time. [Notes] 1. The setting is fictional, drawing inspiration from the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties. The details serve the story, and much is invented. 2. One-on-one romance. A groveling, win-her-back story. 3. Neither lead is perfect, and both have their flaws. 4. Young male servant: a young male attendant. 5. Other issues to be discovered. Please support my upcoming novel: The Taoist Maiden's Courtesy The Eight Immortals Bridge is a chaotic place where all sorts of people gather, home to the city's many walks of life. Lou Peifeng grew up there. She and her widowed mother run a fortune-telling parlor to make ends meet. Known locally as the “Little Immortal Maiden,” she is a beauty who stands out from the crowd. She exorcises evil spirits, banishes ghosts, and invokes the gods. She lives freely, saving up to buy land and a house so she can become a first-class citizen. Then one day, a young Taoist priest showed up at the parlor's door: cold-eyed, handsome, and full of bad habits. He claimed to be her long-dead younger brother. After nearly ten years of driving out evil spirits, had she really seen a ghost? Thanks to my friend Tiannyaipai Caocao for the cover and character designs. Theme: Love life.