Something Is Off About My Elder Cousin

[Complete]

At fifteen, Lin Ran's family fell into ruin, and she headed north to seek refuge with her aunt at the Duke of Zhenguo's residence in Chang'an.

Bandits ran rampant along the way, and the world was in turmoil. With no other choice, she sought help from a man.

He wore black, had a cold heart, and was decisive and powerful.

To survive, Lin Ran had no choice but to give herself to him and pretend to be sweet.

With gentle words and soft affection, she finally got him to relax his stern expression and promise to protect her on the journey.

But as soon as they reached Chang'an, Lin Ran ran away and sought refuge with her cousin.

The Lu family had two sons. The heir, Lu Heng, was aloof and intimidating, while the second son, Lu Xun, was a refined gentleman.

The Lu family intended to marry Lin Ran to Lu Xun. But a few days later, the heir returned home. The moment Lin Ran saw him, she was struck dumb, staring at the cousin standing before her.

The man who'd shown no sign of a gentleman at night was the impeccably dressed heir to the Duke of Zhenguo.

"Ranran, greet him."

Prompted, Lin Ran stepped forward and greeted him through gritted teeth. A glint of amusement appeared in Lu Heng's usually inscrutable eyes.

Lin Ran avoided him like the plague, but she could never forget how she'd begged him for help and ended up in his tent.

On New Year's Eve, in the woods behind the duke's residence, the servants gossiped about the marriage between the young lady and the second son, never knowing that, just beyond a single wall, the heir, who never went near women, had the young lady cornered in a rockery cave, kissing her passionately.

The young lord's lip was split, and the beauty's lipstick was completely smudged.

The heir to the Duke of Zhenguo was peerlessly handsome, winning the hearts of countless young women in Chang'an.

Though past twenty, he had shown no interest in marriage.

Then, while on a mission, he saw a beauty in tears. Lu Heng narrowed his phoenix eyes and, for the first time, wanted to claim someone for himself.

Unfortunately, the day before he could give her a title, she ran away.

To this day, the guards dared not recall the heir's terrifyingly dark expression that day, or the suffocating aura around him.

Later, when they met again, Lu Heng saw those captivating eyes and couldn't stop thinking: So what if she's engaged? She was the one who came after him. He wouldn't let her run away again.

PS:

1. One couple, happy ending. The author thinks it's sweet.

2. Includes, but isn't limited to, the groveling chase, possessive love, and pregnancy-runaway tropes.

3. The second cousin has a white moonlight in his heart and has no intention of marrying the heroine. He isn't engaged either, so there is no cheating plot.

4. Over-the-top melodrama with a Mary Sue and a Gary Stu. Close the book now if that's not your thing.

5. [Old-school melodrama tropes. Different characters and the story would be completely different. The innocent need not explain themselves.]

Coming soon: A Hundred Charms

[Down-and-out feudal lord's daughter X rough bandit leader]

In her previous life, after the city fell, Cheng Jiaojiao watched, trembling, as a man in armor, his sword dripping with blood, approached her step by step.

He was the brute she'd once bullied, and the husband whose marriage she had broken off...

He was also the man who would soon conquer the land after the city's fall.

Yan Jue's expression was cold as he seized her hand like the King of Hell.

"Five years ago, Princess, which hand did you use to whip me?"

Cheng Jiaojiao's vision went black, and she fainted in terror.

When she woke, Cheng Jiaojiao discovered she had returned to six years earlier.

She was forced to marry that bandit leader.

On their wedding night, she had just slapped him for accidentally touching her arm.

The man's cold expression was exactly the same as it had been six years later.

Cheng Jiaojiao's legs immediately went weak.

Cheng Jiaojiao: "It was just a bit of fun... You can take it, right?"

Yan Jue: "..."

Theme: Cherish the person in front of you