Little Luo

On the night of Xin Luo's eighteenth birthday, a man tumbled into her courtyard.

His clothes were ragged and one of his legs was broken, yet he still looked refined and handsome. The moment Xin Luo approached, he seized her by the throat, his eyes dark and vicious, nearly choking the life out of her.

Xin Luo cared for him and treated his broken leg. He rarely smiled, his brow always shadowed, and only occasionally deigned to answer her. But she was happy: he came from the outside world. She had never been outside, or spoken to anyone from beyond it.

Sitting beside him, she asked, "Is the world very big?"

He toyed with her green snake and glanced at her. "It's nothing special."

One night, soldiers surrounded the courtyard. The man donned a black-and-gold python robe and looked down at her, ordering her to go with him to the capital. Only then did she learn that he was the second prince of Da Yue, Prince Su, Wei Qi, and far more exalted than the king of Wujing.

Xin Luo did not dare take a step. She was a cursed star, held captive here, and could not leave.

Wei Qi scoffed, gripped her wrist, and strode past the kneeling crowd. "I want to take her with me. Who dares stop me?"

*

Xin Luo returned to Prince Su's residence with Wei Qi. The people there were envious and resentful, saying that this lowly woman from Wujing had put a love spell on Prince Su. He had showered her with a fortune that countless people dreamed of, and was even planning to take her as a concubine.

But Xin Luo didn't like Prince Su's residence, and she didn't want to marry Wei Qi. She had thought he was taking her out to see the world, but she hadn't realized he meant to seize her and keep her in the palm of his hand.

On the day of the wedding, Xin Luo ran away. On the road, she met a kind stranger who took her to his residence for the night. In the middle of the night, she suddenly awoke to see Wei Qi standing tall, his gaze dark and burning, his sword's edge glinting like ice.

He came closer, his bloodstained fingers pinching her cheek. "Little witch, where were you planning to run off to without telling me?"

*

At first, the whole world was no more than a toy in his hands.

In the end, the whole world was smaller than the space in her heart.

*

Reading Guide:

1. One-on-one romance, both leads' firsts, happy ending. Arrogant, nasty mad dog × innocent, resilient girl.

2. Set in a fictional world. A bittersweet romance (with a little political intrigue, but the plot is simple). It includes a forced pursuit and the male lead chasing the female lead, but he isn't a lawbreaker and the heroine will teach him how to behave. Readers who want a lawbreaker hero, dislike forced pursuit, or prefer serious political intrigue are advised to close the book. The "kind stranger" in the blurb is 24-karat pure evil.

3. All readers are equal. Please don't fight. You can criticize Wei Qi, but please don't insult the heroine, other readers, or the author. I'll read all the comments, but I may not have time to reply to everyone or might miss some. Thank you all for reading.

4. The cover is a character design commissioned for the heroine. Thanks to the artist @Yi Zhi Jing Ye, and to my friend @AceHimNo for the design.

[Upcoming Contemporary Romance: Play Nice] Reunion after years apart / Mutual pining / Size difference

In Tang Li's eyes, Zhou Ye is unruly and rebellious, with a fierce, unbending streak. He's the king of the arena, the center of everyone's attention.

And she is an obscure nobody, insignificant, a firefly with only the faintest glow. He would never like her.

But now, she has no luggage with her and is about to move in with Zhou Ye.

-

In Zhou Ye's eyes, Tang Li is gentle and sweet, like soft, warm snow melting in people's hearts, cool enough to make him itch with desire and hot enough to leave him restless.

And he is wild and untamable, harboring ulterior motives, a leopard waiting for the perfect moment to strike. She would never like him.

So what? He's been pining for her miserably for eight years. Surely he can pretend to behave for a little while?

-

Later, he pressed his lips to her trembling eyelashes and listened to her broken whispers and crumbling sobs.

Only then did he realize she liked him better when he didn't behave.

Tsk. All that time spent pretending for nothing.

Theme: Love is about mutual respect and understanding.