Pampered Darling

[Complete] Thank you for supporting the official release! My new novel next door, "Cherish Her Beauty," is now underway: a cool-headed, poised young lady from a distinguished family x a spirited, carefree playboy from the capital! The male lead is utterly lovestruck! Blurb: spoiled noblewoman x powerful official who dotes on his wife (marriage first, love later) Her father was a duke, her mother a princess of the imperial line, and her brother was adopted as the heir to Prince Huai's title. Shen Yujiao was raised by the late emperor from a young age. If there was anyone in the Li Kingdom more overbearing than a princess, it was undoubtedly Shen Yujiao, daughter of the Duke of Shen. She was the apple of everyone's eye. What was a princess? Even one would have to defer to her. But after the late emperor passed away, a single imperial decree married her off to the immensely powerful Prince An. She was forced into the bridal sedan, and no one dared plead on her behalf. Shen Yujiao had never suffered such an indignity. She refused food and threatened suicide, all in the hope of obtaining a divorce. She was heartbroken and miserable, so distraught she truly wanted to end her life with a length of white silk, but she was afraid. With neither her parents nor her elder brother to dote on her, rumors spread that Shen Yujiao was disliked by Mu Chen'an, and that in his eyes she was worth less than a servant. So, during a palace banquet, people repeatedly humiliated her in an attempt to curry favor with Mu Chen'an. Shen Yujiao's heart turned cold as she watched her parents remain silent, not daring to speak up for her. She left the hall alone. If anyone saw her hiding away to wipe her tears, they would laugh at her even more. But Shen Yujiao never expected Mu Chen'an to find her, dry her tears, take her hand, and lead her back into the hall. His intention to protect her was unmistakable. The onlookers were stunned. "Have they gone mad?! Who started the rumor that Mu Chen'an loathes Shen Yujiao and can't stand her? Then who's the man wiping Shen Yujiao's tears with a handkerchief?!" Mu Chen'an had controlled the court for years. He had never been the sort to soften or let sentiment sway him. But for some reason, when he saw his troublemaking princess hiding in a corner and secretly wiping her tears, he couldn't stop himself from pulling her into his arms. # Reader's Guide # * Set in a fictional world, with many original details. Please don't overanalyze. * Both leads are virgins; marriage first, love later; one-on-one, sweet romance; happy ending. * Age gap: the male lead is 28, ten years older than the 18-year-old female lead. * Screenshot of the revised blurb taken on August 16, 2022. …Coming soon: "After My Stepbrother Set His Sights on Me"… Blurb: delicate beauty heroine x cruel hypocrite stepbrother Qin Ruoyun lost her birth father when she was three. After her mother spent three years as a widow, she married into the He family as a second wife. Qin Ruoyun became the daughter of the Minister of Personnel and gained a brother five years her senior. He Jingyan felt no affection for the mother and younger sister who had suddenly appeared in his life. The first time he met Qin Ruoyun, he stepped on the piece of malt sugar candy she offered him, finding it amusing to watch her cry while trying not to let him see. After that, Qin Ruoyun always avoided him when she saw him. Apart from paying their respects to their parents each day, they had little to do with each other. The year Qin Ruoyun came of age, Minister He was falsely accused of embezzlement amid a struggle between the princes for the throne. His family was stripped of its possessions and convicted. Her stepfather and birth mother both died in prison. He Jingyan escaped punishment because he had been serving as an official elsewhere and had made a record of achievement. Just as Qin Ruoyun was about to be left homeless, He Jingyan returned to the capital to settle the aftermath. She knew He Jingyan disliked her, but to survive, she had no choice but to cling to his hand. "Brother, we're the only family either of us has left in this world." "Family with no blood ties?" He Jingyan had no desire to take along a burden. But perhaps Qin Ruoyun looked too pitiful as she cried, or perhaps it was their father's dying request. Either way, he took her back to where he was posted. … After the new emperor ascended the throne, he reviewed the officials. He Jingyan's impressive record earned him a transfer back to the capital. Then Minister He's wrongful conviction was overturned, and the new emperor took He Jingyan into his confidence. He quickly became a man of great influence. Since he showed no interest in women, families hoping to marry into the He family set their sights on Qin Ruoyun, who was still unmarried. They claimed her marriage had been arranged while Minister He was still alive. He Jingyan gave no reply. With an amused expression, he told Qin Ruoyun to decide for herself. When Qin Ruoyun met He Jingyan's gaze, she rejected the marriage without a moment's thought. After the visitors left, He Jingyan took her hand and drew her into his arms from behind. "Little sister, don't forget what you said: we're the only family either of us has in this world." If we're the only ones, where would anyone else fit in? Qin Ruoyun trembled as she turned and hugged him back. "I know, Brother." He Jingyan gently stroked the ends of her hair, contentedly indulging in her dependence. From the day he took her away, it had been their fate to rely on each other for the rest of their lives. Reader's Guide: pseudo-incest, both leads are virgins, possessive pursuit This man pursues his little sister relentlessly. On the surface, he says he doesn't like her and resents her as a burden. In reality, if she so much as looks at another man, he goes mad. He regularly uses moral principles to scare her, telling her that she's too young to know better and that she's trying to climb into her brother's bed, while secretly being delighted by it. Blurb revised: June 17, 2026 …Coming soon: "When Spring Never Comes"… After her family falls into ruin, Xiao Ning can only protect her young siblings by holding on to her marriage arrangement with the Minister's household. Fortunately, Minister Zhuang doesn't care that her family has been convicted of crimes. He takes her in and lets her choose a date to marry his eldest son. Xiao Ning is endlessly grateful. But only a few days after she marries the eldest son, her husband falls gravely ill and dies suddenly within days. She becomes a doomed woman in everyone's eyes, someone said to bring misfortune to her family and husband. The Zhuang family can no longer tolerate her and plans to send her to a temple to spend the rest of her life. When Xiao Ning learns of this, she knocks on the second son's door before dawn. The door does not open again until dusk. … Wen Qingcheng knew from the day Xiao Ning married into the Minister's household that she had married his elder brother to bring him good fortune and cure his illness. But for some reason, his gaze was always drawn to Xiao Ning, and he even began to resent the brother by her side. Wen Qingcheng knew this was wrong and fought desperately to suppress his feelings. Later, his elder brother died of illness. Their parents believed Xiao Ning was ill-omened and planned to send her to a temple to spend the rest of her life. Wen Qingcheng was trying to figure out how to help her when Xiao Ning came to knock on his door alone. The base and shameful feelings in his heart surged to the surface. Looking at Xiao Ning standing before him as she undressed, Wen Qingcheng couldn't resist speaking cruelly. "Does sister-in-law usually beg my brother like this?" Reader's Guide: Both leads are virgins; the elder brother is impotent due to a physical condition. Blurb revised: July 11, 2026 Theme: Persevere and break through the darkness