The Wife on the Roof Beam (Matriarchy)

The day her identity was exposed, Liang Xuanyu found herself caught between a wolf and a tiger. She was ready to snatch the list by force, fighting her way through and sending it back to the Yu Kingdom.

A young gentleman in his nightclothes stood beneath the moonlight, as if he had been waiting for her outside the Thousand Mechanisms Tower for a long time.

Liang Xuanyu was drenched in blood, her long sword dripping steadily. After a moment of stunned silence, she stepped forward.

"Young gentleman, don't stop me."

"I'm not here to stop you, Liang Xuanyu."

The autumn night was bitterly cold, and the dew chilled the air.

The young gentleman's thin, white nightclothes seemed dusted with frost beneath the moonlight. "The winner has been decided. I've come to claim the promise you owe me."

Liang Xuanyu tightened her grip on the sword hilt. After a brief silence, she smiled. "Young gentleman, what do you want?"

"Three days."

"What?"

"Three days of pleasure in bed."

Liang Xuanyu's expression shifted from confusion to shock.

The young gentleman's face remained cool and composed. "That's all I want."

"This concerns your chastity."

Liang Xuanyu felt the breath leaving her lips grow scorching. "We're enemies."

"I'm the only one who can get you out of here." The young gentleman lowered his phoenix eyes. "Liang Xuanyu, do you agree?"

Torches searching the area flared to life everywhere. The people of Qingfeng Hall had all been mobilized, and their commotion seemed to ring in her ears.

Liang Xuanyu's fingers tightened around her sword until her knuckles turned blue-white. Her breath drifted out like a thin mist.

"Liang Xuanyu, I have no choice, and neither do you."

The young gentleman descended the steps. The moon shone bright, illuminating his slender, soft, jade-white feet.

Only then did Liang Xuanyu realize that his clothes were not the only thing he wore so lightly: he wasn't wearing shoes, either. She instinctively frowned.

But the faint scent of medicine filled her arms, and the woman's answer caught in her throat.

"Liang Xuanyu, hold me tight."

For three days and three nights, Liang Xuanyu was gone, but a piece of her heart remained behind.

Half a month later, news reached the Yu Kingdom that the new emperor of the Qian Kingdom had ascended the throne and would soon be married.

At the time, Liang Xuanyu was woken by someone while still bleary-eyed with drink. She had no idea who had placed a portrait of the new emperor of Qian's phoenix consort on her desk.

Before Liang Xuanyu could react, her tenth senior sister sat up, hiccupped, and snatched it away.

Liang Xuanyu's elbow rested on the bottom edge of the scroll, and it unfurled to reveal the young gentleman in a magnificent phoenix robe.

Liang Xuanyu felt a sharp pang in her heart. The wine jug hit the floor, spilling wine everywhere.

A scheming young gentleman * A calm, rational county lady from an enemy kingdom

Stealing a kiss was never Liang Xuanyu's intention. But day after day, as she crouched on the beam and watched the beautiful young gentleman poring over account books and working an abacus, she couldn't help but focus all her attention on his face.

Hugging her sword, a foxtail grass stem in her mouth, Liang Xuanyu shook her head ruefully. Who knew there could be a gentleman this dull? She'd been keeping watch from the beam for three or five days, and hadn't seen him do anything other than check the books.

Liang Xuanyu sighed. At least the Qingfeng Hall master election was set to last seven days, and she'd already completed the tasks in the seven boxes she'd drawn. Without any surprises, she should have been elected and taken control of Qingfeng Hall.

But the rules for the succession election had unexpectedly changed. The next hall master would no longer be determined by how quickly candidates completed their tasks. Luck would count, too. Everyone would get a chance to randomly select seven boxes, but the tasks inside were of different levels. Everything depended on the draw.

And as luck would have it, Liang Xuanyu had been on a terrible streak. Every one of the seven boxes she'd drawn contained the lowest-level, Grade D task!

The only way she could turn things around now was by saving her rival's target and claiming victory.

Liang Xuanyu narrowed her eyes. She didn't know why such a beautiful young gentleman had ended up on the list of Grade A, most difficult tasks at Qingfeng Hall. But she'd already saved a whole circle of people and was almost at the finish line. She couldn't let herself slack off just because he was too boring.

She had a mission, and she had to become hall master.

Liang Xuanyu forced herself to stay alert, pinching herself as she imagined hope just ahead. But after she made it through all seven days, the hall sent word: every candidate had made one mistake or another, so killing the beautiful young gentleman would now be the task that ultimately decided who became hall master.

Liang Xuanyu looked at the scrap of paper in her hand. The foxtail grass fell from her mouth.

Liang Xuanyu had many choices, but he had only one. From the very beginning, he had been like a moth flying into a flame.

But he was destined to leave the deepest mark on her heart.

[Coming Soon] The Disgraced Crown Princess's Little Palace Attendant (Women Rule)

Yuan Linghua was a deposed crown princess.

Her trusted aides had all been banished to a bitterly cold land after the new phoenix consort whispered in the emperor's ear.

Yuan Linghua refused to surrender her pride. She still swore to reclaim everything that should have been hers. She tilled the soil and tended flowers to throw her enemies off the scent, while secretly keeping in touch with her former followers. She endured hardship and bided her time, waiting for the day she could succeed.

One day, a little palace attendant was sent to the despised Cold Palace.

The little attendant was good-looking, knew how to embroider and brew tea, and could even tend flowers.

He seemed to have been sent especially to add a touch of charm to the disgraced crown princess's quiet life.

Yuan Linghua watched coldly and ordered the little attendant to serve at her side. She planned to discover his purpose and then arrange for his death by accident.

The little attendant had no idea. Every day, he carefully kept Yuan Linghua company, living happily and seeming entirely guileless.

Yuan Linghua frowned to herself more than once. She felt she was spending too much effort on the little attendant, which couldn't be a good sign.

The next day, she pointed to a withered trumpet vine and told him to go to the flower room to ask for seeds.

After the little attendant left, he never came back.

Yuan Linghua watched the rain by the window, her expression impassive and her hands clasped tightly behind her back.

But then the little attendant came running back through the downpour, soaked from head to toe, with a dazzling smile on his face. He held out the flower seeds to Yuan Linghua, his eyes brimming with joy.

"Your Highness, I brought back the trumpet vine seeds."

The little attendant still showed little regard for etiquette and refused to call himself this servant.

But this time, Yuan Linghua had no desire to scold him. Seeing that not a single seed had gotten wet, she unclenched the hand behind her back.

"Why did you come back?"

Yuan Linghua regarded the little attendant with scrutiny.

"Because Your Highness is here. Your Highness is the very best."

The little attendant looked up, unwavering, his eyes filled with Yuan Linghua's reflection.

Tags: Courtly Romance, Aristocratic Families, Devoted Love, The Long Road to Winning Back a Lover, Love Grows Over Time, Women Rule

Main character: Yuan Linghua. Supporting character: Yun Chu.

Other notes: Yun Chu gazed up at one person and never changed. He watched her emerge from adversity and claim the world, but his joy faded. A life together, devoted only to each other, was ultimately impossible.

One-line premise: The once-unattainable princess finally has him in her heart.

Theme: Carrying a heart full of trepidation, chase the person you look up to.

[Coming Soon] The Courtesan's Difficult Marriage (Women Rule)

Yue Yunlan was Soft Red Pavilion's top courtesan. Countless guests had enjoyed his company, and there was a line stretching from the capital to Suzhou and Hangzhou of people yearning to spend a night in his fragrant chambers.

Seeing such a money-maker, the brothel keeper had long since made plans. He had his eye on powerful and wealthy officials, and intended to auction off Yue Yunlan's first night on his eighteenth birthday, raising his price and making Soft Red Pavilion famous among the city's brothels.

But Yue Yunlan was too clever to follow the path the brothel keeper had laid out. He wanted to choose a wife with a kind temperament and a simple family: no elders above to control her, no younger siblings below to support, some money to spare, and little guile.

One day, he went to a temple to pray for a match. The red ribbon he tossed for his wish happened to hit a scholarly-looking woman. She had an air of refinement, and her clothes were neither showy nor shabby.

Yue Yunlan's eyes lit up at once. He urged his attendant to bribe the temple fortune-teller and find out the scholar's background.

To his surprise, fortune really was this kind. The scholar matched Yue Yunlan's wishes in every way.

But the scholar spent her days going between the academy, the bookshop, and home. It would be difficult to engineer a chance encounter.

Yue Yunlan racked his brains, then went to knock on the scholar's door in the middle of the night.

"I... I accidentally hit you that day. I've come to apologize."

Yue Yunlan bashfully raised his eyes, showing Yan Qingling the side of himself that his admirers loved most.

Yan Qingling held a scroll. Her ears turned red in an instant, and her face seemed to grow hot. She took two steps back.

"D-don't be so forward."

A flicker of surprise crossed Yue Yunlan's eyes. He had spent so long in the brothel and never met a woman as inexperienced and bashful as this one. His heart stirred, and he smiled softly.

"My lady, since we've met, there's actually something I'd like to ask of you."

Yan Qingling lowered her eyes, staring at the scroll in her hands. Her lashes trembled. "What is it?"

"My lady, will you marry me?"

Yue Yunlan stepped over the threshold and covered the scholar's scroll with his hand.

Yan Qingling let go in fright. The scroll fell to the ground, its pages scattered by the wind. She pressed her lips together, and her erratic heartbeat made her turn her face away despite herself.

Yue Yunlan blocked the entrance to the Yan residence. Watching the scholar's increasingly amusing reactions, he became even more determined to cling to this stiff, honest woman who blushed whenever she saw him.

"My lady, I'm still pure."

Yue Yunlan took the scholar's hand and gently swayed it.

Yan Qingling's entire face burned. Unable to avoid it, she looked at the little mouth chattering away before her. Her fingertips curled slightly against his soft, delicate hand.

Yue Yunlan's eyes curved into crescents. "Would you like to see?"

"S-see... see what?"

Yan Qingling stared blankly.

"The chastity mark at my waist," Yue Yunlan said, his red lips breathing out a sweet scent, his laughter as clear as a bell.

Yan Qingling's eyes widened in disbelief. In an instant, her whole body flushed red, and she snatched her hand back.

"Y-you..."

Yan Qingling tried to rein in her emotions and put on a stern face. She had already retreated three steps.

Even so, Yue Yunlan's smile never faded. He simply began to untie the sash at his waist.

Under the night sky, the moonlight was soft. The wind blew against the entrance, making the door creak and sway.

As if possessed, Yan Qingling slammed the door shut. Only after it was closed did she realize what she'd done.

Yue Yunlan's sudden arrival had caught her completely off guard and left her tossing and turning for days.

Even after she had sent him away that night, Yue Yunlan filled her dreams. It was as if she were bewitched, following him with her eyes until they settled on his pale fingers undoing his sash.

Her restless heart, her desire growing more feverish by the day, all told her what was keeping her awake at night.

Yan Qingling avoided Yue Yunlan for days. After leaving the academy, she went straight to her carriage and returned home. She stopped going to the bookshop, too.

But things took an unexpected turn.

Yue Yunlan didn't come again. It had been as if the whole thing were a joke. Yan Qingling should have been relieved, but instead she felt inexplicably irritated.

She gripped the scroll in her hands, the veins on her knuckles faintly visible.

Had he provoked her only to give up this easily?

At Soft Red Pavilion, Yue Yunlan rested his chin in his hand and munched on a crisp pear, listening as a servant reported the scholar's activities over the past few days. His eyes shone brighter than the stars.

When it came to dealing with a blockhead, a strong dose really was the way to go.

Yue Yunlan hummed softly, certain he'd had the matter all figured out. But at the very end, one unexpected thing after another happened, and the greatest surprise was the blockhead herself.

His plans had fallen apart. Everything would have to start over.

But who could have told him that once the perfectly ordinary blockhead changed identities, she would become so hard to handle?

Kind temperament? Simple family? No elders to control her, no younger siblings to support? A wife with a little money and little guile?

Yan Qingling rubbed the space between her brows and smiled faintly at the beauty who looked ready to flee at the sight of her.

"Still want to marry someone else?"

Tags: Aristocratic Families, Substitute, Multiple Personalities, Unexpected Arrival, Amnesia, Women Rule

Yan Qingling, Yue Yunlan

One-line premise: A forcibly picked melon is sweet.

[Coming Soon] Plucking a Black Lotus (Women Rule)

The Fu residence was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. A wedding was near.

Holding an umbrella over the head of a pitiful gentleman soaked by the rain, Fu Ciyu still couldn't bring herself to withhold a handkerchief, even though he'd deceived her many times.

"What do you want this time?"

"I want you to marry me."

The gentleman looked up at her with reddened eyes, clutching the corner of Fu Ciyu's official robe in a tight grip.

Fu Ciyu had never expected to meet someone like him in her career as an official.

He was cold-hearted and ruthless, willing to stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He lied constantly, tricked people into believing him, then discarded them without hesitation, as if he had been born without a heart.

She shouldn't have had anything to do with a person like that.

But a murder case in Huaiyang County bound them together.

Fu Ciyu felt guilty, and he was so clever that at their very first meeting, he grabbed her sleeve and looked up at her pitifully. "Fu Ciyu, could you help me get home?"

The Shangguan family was the foremost aristocratic family in the capital, while the Cen family was separated from them by an unbridgeable gulf. Returning home would be harder than ascending to heaven.

Fu Ciyu had no choice but to take him in first and let him stay at her home while they made plans.

Assassination attempts came one after another, and rumors spread through the streets and alleys.

Fu Ciyu had no choice but to take leave and go into hiding with him.

The little liar was delighted. He spent her money on the finest things and ate the finest food. Fu Ciyu had no idea how the Cen family had raised him, but he was even more pampered than a prince in the palace.

Fu Ciyu often wondered about him, but whenever he looked at her with bright eyes, she swallowed her questions.

Never mind. If she was going to help him, she might as well see it through. He only wanted to go home, after all.

Shangguan Fei had never known anyone could be so easy to fool.

And this person had been the sworn enemy who beheaded him in his previous life.

Given another chance, he was petty enough to make her pay him back, no matter what.

As for returning to the Shangguan family, he couldn't think of a better excuse to stay by her side.

He wasn't going to dodge assassins on his own like he had in his previous life.

Fu Ciyu had risen to prominence in her previous life, becoming the new emperor's favored official and a rising star at court. Naturally, she was not to be underestimated.

He would have to keep her sweet and get her to clear every obstacle in his path, then...

kick her to the curb.

Tags: Courtly Romance, Aristocratic Families, Devoted Love, Reborn, HE, Women Rule

Fu Ciyu, Shangguan Fei

One-line premise: Fooled once, fooled every time.

Theme: Don't make promises too boldly. Leave yourself some room, or the face-slapping will hurt.

Theme: You can't have your cake and eat it too.