A Mute Husband Is Hard to Keep

The blurb for my upcoming novel, A Thousand Lanterns Stealing the Clear Skies, is below. Please add it to your favorites~~

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Blurb:

Su Ye is the proprietress of the Qing Nang Pharmacy, struggling to keep her family's failing apothecary afloat.

One day, a handsome, delicate-looking mute boy arrives at her door, carrying a token from their betrothal.

The boy wears a ragged shirt that can hardly hide the gruesome scars on his body. When he looks up at her, tears glimmer in his starry eyes, balanced on his lashes, seeming ready to fall. He's so pitiful that anyone would feel for him.

Su Ye's heart softens. She closes the ledger showing yet another loss, grits her teeth, and takes him in.

**

Wen Cheng'an, a ruthless killer who never blinks when he takes a life, decides on a whim to play the pretty boy and live off a woman's support.

While gathering herbs, he deliberately injures his hand and pitifully asks Sister Su to feed him.

When thunder rumbles, he carries a little pillow and tearfully begs Sister Su to comfort him.

The little devil Wen loves the look of helpless exasperation on Su Ye's face when she gives in to him. He's found a source of endless amusement, and greedily wants to claim every smile and frown of hers.

One night, moonlight glimmers like frost. His enemies come calling, and the little devil is eager for a fight. Silver needles flash coldly, staining his white robes crimson and his jade-like face dark red.

The enchanting young man licks the blood from his lips, still radiating murderous intent. He looks up and meets Su Ye's shocked, panicked gaze...

Kind, gentle big sister vs. lovesick, unhinged young man

* The male lead has a speech impediment, which will be cured later.

* The more pitifully he cries, the more ruthless he is.

* The heroine is four years older than the hero.

Upcoming novel: A Thousand Lanterns Stealing the Clear Skies

Wen Weixia's father has served as a county magistrate for twenty years. Hoping for a promotion, he marries her off to Du Quru, the Empress's nephew, as his second wife.

On her wedding night, Wen Weixia sits motionless until dawn, becoming a laughingstock in the Du household.

After the wedding, she devotes herself to the Du family, but it means nothing to them. Du Quru mocks her, and her parents-in-law are utterly disappointed in her.

Her husband's family dislikes her, and her own family has no influence. She struggles to find her footing in the Du household.

At her lowest point, only Tan Xunwu comes to her through the darkness, caring for her and protecting her, openly and behind the scenes.

Later, her father is convicted and dismissed from office. With Tan Xunwu's support, Wen Weixia produces a divorce agreement and decides to live according to her own wishes for once.

**

Du Quru deeply loves his late wife, but his family forced him to take a second wife.

What sort of decent woman could come from a family that clambers for power? Wen Weixia isn't even worth a single strand of his late wife's hair.

She has no right to take his wife's place and enjoy everything that should belong to the woman he loves.

He despises her, yet can't help paying attention to her. Without realizing it, she has begun to sway his heart.

By the time he recognizes these complicated feelings, his sworn brother, who has always obeyed him, has already gotten between them and stolen her heart.

Du Quru grips the divorce agreement, his anger flaring.

Divorce? Never!

She is his wife, and will be until death.

**

When Tan Xunwu visits the Wen family to propose, one fleeting glimpse of her in the covered walkway stirs the still waters of his heart.

Unfortunately, he is not the groom.

Yet that one glance sets his desire surging.

He doesn't want to be like his father, hiding his talents to make the Du family look good and willingly dying to protect them.

He doesn't want to be Du Quru's shadow. He wants to be Wen Weixia's light.

He uses gentle consideration as a wedge to split apart a marriage that was already cracked.

At first, Tan Xunwu only wants to break them up.

Later, he wants Du Quru dead.

Theme: Gentleness and kindness can be a form of salvation.