Beneath the Begonia

Seeking follows for the upcoming novel *A Lovebird's Mistake* Synopsis The daughters of once-prosperous officials rarely come to a good end. Take Lin Haitang, for example. On her tenth day at Hongxiang House, a staggering man burst into her room. He was handsome and dashing, but an eerie red glimmer stained his deep-set eyes. Lin Haitang jumped in fright and pulled out her hairpin to defend herself. If she had no other choice, she would even take her own life. But when a drop of blood fell and he licked it, he suddenly turned gentle and compliant. In a low voice, he said, "Come with me, or stay here. Pick one." In the end, Lin Haitang went with him, jumping from one pit of fire into another. Jiang Cheng was a strange man. Lin Haitang noticed that whenever he came to see her, he was patient and gentle. But when he left, his eyes held a look of disgust. Three months later, Jiang Cheng's gentle side disappeared for good. He looked at her coldly and told her he had only been bound to her because of the Heartbond Gu. Now that the Gu had been removed, he would no longer visit her room. The Jiang family were wealthy merchants of the northern desert. She could live out her life in luxury at their estate, even more comfortably than she had as a young lady of the house. As for anything else, Jiang Cheng smiled coolly. "Miss Lin, don't indulge in wishful thinking." After sitting alone all night, Lin Haitang left the Jiang estate before dawn. Jiang Cheng remained unmoved. Merchants had always valued profit and lacked sentiment, and Jiang Cheng was one of the worst. He needed the Gu removed, she needed a living. They had simply helped one another. From then on, they had nothing more to do with each other. When they met again, he saw Lin Haitang looking tenderly at another man. She was utterly devoted to him, her eyes filled with love. Only then did Jiang Cheng remember: that man was her childhood sweetheart. Jiang Cheng's smile did not change, but his dark eyes fixed on Lin Haitang as if he wanted to see right through her clothes. Lin Haitang panicked and hid behind her childhood sweetheart. On the day she was supposed to marry him, the bride disappeared. In a dim room, Jiang Cheng asked again and again in a low voice, "Haitang, tell me. Who do you really love?" Lin Haitang's eyes reddened. She shook her head and said it was not him. A little scene: Lin Haitang only learned later just how cold and heartless Jiang Cheng could be. He was selfish and calculating, and all he wanted was to amass a fortune and become head of the Jiang family. They truly were not suited to one another. But later, to protect her, Jiang Cheng gave away his entire fortune and ended up in prison. Even when his bones were broken, he still smiled at her. "I never make a losing deal. I did all this just so you'd have a place for me in your heart." His bloodied hand reached out to wipe away her tears. "So, how about not marrying someone else?" [A story about a husband chasing his wife to the crematorium, only to turn into a rabid dog] Includes [coercive romance] [chasing-the-wife-to-the-crematorium] Revised on January 2, 2024. Revision screenshot Synopsis for *A Lovebird's Mistake* Sun Lanying had known since childhood that she was promised in marriage. The half of a jade pendant in her room was the token of their betrothal. She had never even met her betrothed, and had no desire to accept the match. But when a villain set his sights on her, Sun Lanying had nowhere else to turn. Summoning her courage, she took the token and went to seek his protection. Her betrothed was a bandit chief, one of the leaders of the Eight Strongholds. Sun Lanying regretted her decision as soon as she reached the stronghold's gates. But the gates swung open, and when a handsome young man came out, Sun Lanying still blushed. Timidly, she handed him the token and called him, "My lord." He indulged her in everything, even agreeing to her unreasonable demand that they marry within ten days. On their wedding night, beneath her red veil, Sun Lanying's cheeks were flushed and her voice was soft and sweet. "My lord, this auspicious date was chosen for us by my father before he passed. Thank you for agreeing to it." The handsome young man had a face like jade and an elegant bearing. He lifted her veil with a finger, then traced his way downward. "As long as you don't regret it, my bride." The deed was done, and he treated her with such care. What could she possibly regret? She heard that her husband had a younger brother who would soon come to live with them. Sun Lanying made sure the room was tidied and ready, but no matter how long she waited, the second brother did not show up. "Could he have gotten lost in the mountains?" Worried for her husband's brother, Sun Lanying went to find her husband and discuss what to do. But as she walked around a corner, she caught sight of a familiar figure. He had his foot planted on someone's head, while the person beneath him struggled and shouted: "You killed my elder brother and took my sister-in-law! I'll never forgive you, even as a ghost!" Ling Liulang's family was destroyed by villains. Later, he killed his enemies with his own hands. When someone came to his door while his hands were still covered in blood, he was prepared to kill again. He never expected the visitor to be a sweet young lady who called him her husband. Her husband, Zhao Dalang, the man who had killed his parents! Ling Liulang hid his bloody hands behind his back. His eyes lowered, burning with hatred, as he smiled at her. "That's right. I'm Dalang." He used another man's name to live with her, thinking that one day he would tell her who he really was. He never expected that day to come so suddenly. Premise: Leave the past behind and face the future without fear.