Name: The Tsundere Imperial Consort (Female-Dominated World)
Author: Que Jiang

Synopsis

A haughty imperial consort who gradually turns clingy vs. a cool, still-growing princess who speaks her mind

Complete and ready to read.

New novel: Snatching the Moon.

Take a look if you're interested.

As a child, Lin Jinyu got lost in the woods and was rescued by a young woman. She was beautiful, with exquisite features and eyes bright as stars. Just one look at her made Lin Jinyu's heart pound like a drum.

He simply didn't know what it meant.

When they met again, she no longer remembered him. Lin Jinyu saw the man standing beside her and realized she already had the man she was supposed to marry.

So she was the wonderful young woman Shen Zhao had told him about.

Only belatedly did Lin Jinyu realize what he felt. At last, he resolved to steal her away.

Reader's Guide

1. The heroine has a future husband chosen for her. They are not formally engaged yet, but both families know about the arrangement.

2. The hero's perspective features more in the early chapters. The heroine is a slow burn and initially treats him like a younger brother.

3. Both leads have their flaws. The hero will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

4. Men can give birth.

5. The hero is the type to fight and snatch what he wants.

6. An alternate world, very loosely based on anything real.

The story goes like this:

Jiang Zhexue is the Crown Princess of Tianque. After guarding the border for two years without any major battles, she gets ready to return home. Before leaving, she comes across a man who is both blind and mute.

She assumes he's a local villager.

She casually tells someone to send him home, but things go wrong.

He is sold in the capital. By a twist of fate, they meet again, and since she's made a mistake, she feels she should take responsibility and brings him back with her.

She never manages to get rid of him.

Rong Yunqing is the imperial consort of the Qianluo Kingdom. He has been surrounded by wealth and splendor since childhood. When a traitor appears at court, he is sent away from Qianluo to draw out the enemy and eliminate them in one fell swoop. He gets separated from his party along the way and takes medicine to disguise his identity.

The medicine leaves him blind and mute. When people try to send him home, he can't even explain himself because he can't speak.

He meets the person who rescued him before, and she takes him in. Only later does he learn that she is the Crown Princess of Tianque. Remembering the rumors he'd heard in Qianluo, he thinks:

She likes me!

All his questions are answered.

Jiang Zhexue puts medicine on his forehead. She likes me!

He keeps the candy figure she had someone bring him in his mouth. She must like me. How else would she know I like candy figures? Out of all the sweets, she picked the one I like.

To put Rong Yunqing's train of thought simply: She likes me! How should I reject her?

Why is she giving me candy? Hmph... I won't fall for her just because of candy.

Why is she smiling at me? Why is she standing next to me? ...

Rong Yunqing, stammering: I... I won't like her just because of things like this...

Later:

She really does like me. (Why else would she stand next to me instead of someone else?)

She's head over heels for me.

She loves me so much. Since she loves me this much...

With a reluctant air (that part is important), he turns his face away and says, "Since you like me so much, I, the imperial consort, will give us a try."

Jiang Zhexue: ???

When he learns Jiang Zhexue doesn't actually like him, and that she only let him stay because he's the imperial consort of Qianluo, merely offering to keep him out of politeness, Rong Yunqing stiffens and says, "If you don't like me, then that's perfect."

In secret, sitting in the carriage that's taking him away, he presses his lips together until they're nearly bleeding. He blinks again and again, fighting back tears until the corners of his eyes turn red.

Jiang Zhexue simply lifts the curtain to look inside.

"Would you like me to go back with you?"

Rong Yunqing replies stiffly, "No need..."

"All right, then... travel safely," says Jiang Zhexue.

She lowers the curtain and turns to leave, but he steps on the hem of her robe, stopping her. Jiang Zhexue tugs at it, and he presses down even harder, as though afraid she'll manage to get away.

After they marry, Rong Yunqing loves clinging to Jiang Zhexue.

"Wife, let me hold you."

Jiang Zhexue is reviewing memorials and says helplessly, "There's no need."

"There is!"

"There isn't."

Rong Yunqing slips through the gap in her guard and half-sits in her lap, wrapping his arms around her neck. In a muffled voice, he says, "Hold me."

One-on-one

Happy ending

Content warnings:

1. There will be no groveling arc where the heroine chases after the hero. The heroine is the focus (in this female-dominant-world story).

2. The heroine is a slow burn. Men can give birth (though the male lead might not have a child; if he does, it will be a man giving birth).

3. The plot logic has been missing for ages, and this kid never lets me lead him around... (shrugs) [helpless, helpless]