Falling for the Foolish Beauty's Trick

To find a good match, Li Ci was sent to live with her maternal grandparents, whose household was home to one of the greatest scholars of the age. She was doted on by everyone. Her grandparents and parents were of one mind about her marriage: her husband should be both virtuous and talented, come from a poor family, and ideally be willing to marry into hers. Later, a distant cousin came to stay at the estate as a visiting student. He was refined and handsome, exceptionally gifted, and dirt poor: a perfect fit for their ideal son-in-law. Li Ci was delighted. She paid him special attention and fussed over him at every opportunity. Unfortunately, she later learned that he was the heir to the immensely prestigious Duke of Xinguo's mansion. She moped for two days, then set her sights on one of his classmates instead. - Xie Zhenchuan, heir to the Duke of Xinguo's mansion, conceals his identity and travels to Jiangnan to investigate a case at the Earl of Guangcheng's estate, only to unexpectedly find himself pursued by the young lady of the household. The young lady, Li Ci, is breathtakingly beautiful, but naive and not very bright. Her affection is painfully obvious, and she's even learned to play hard to get and distract him with one thing while she does another. Xie Zhenchuan is fed up with her pestering. After gently turning her down, he promises to keep an eye out for a suitable match for her. Li Ci doesn't feel the least bit disappointed at being rejected. She happily accepts, hoping her cousin will help her find a good husband. But her cousin doesn't seem very keen on the idea, and keeps putting her off. Taking pity on how hard he has to study, Li Ci decides to find someone herself. The day before the Qiqiao Festival, Li Ci comes to visit. Xie Zhenchuan finally begins to take her feelings seriously, only to see her eating the sweet osmanthus taro dessert he gave her while counting on her fingers and listing his classmates' merits: "Young Master Sui is capable and comes from a poor family, so he'd make a good husband. He's just a little lacking in looks. Young Master He is handsome and talented, but his family is quite wealthy. Only Young Master Cheng is handsome, well-read, and poor. I wonder if he'd be willing to marry into my family?" Bonus scene: Xie Zhenchuan, heir to the Duke of Xinguo's mansion, is handsome, brilliant, and the pride of his parents. His future wife is surely destined to be a noblewoman of equal status. But those standards keep dropping, until at last the Duke of Xinguo waves a broom at him and scolds, "If you dare marry into her family and take her surname, I'll break your legs!" Notes: An imagined setting inspired by the Ming Dynasty; one-on-one romance, both leads are virgins. The completed sweet romance, After I Lost My Memory and Mistakenly Flirted With the Crown Prince, is next door. Below is a historical romance in the works: The Fake Heiress's Spoiled Daily Life. Qi Yanying was born into an illustrious family and blessed with stunning beauty. Though spoiled, willful, and unreasonable, she's always had everything go her way. One day, she dreams of her past life and learns that she's a fake heiress, mistakenly brought back from the countryside by the Third Branch of the family. Her future will be turned upside down: everyone will turn against her and abandon her. The only person who speaks up for her is her least favorite person, her elder brother, Qi Yue. Qi Yue is the family's most cherished legitimate eldest son, a noble young gentleman praised by all for his talent and virtue, and the future head of the Qi family. Yet he is always cold and distant toward her, never once softening his expression. Qi Yanying gradually realizes that he's the only one who's different. From then on, a little tagalong follows Qi Yue everywhere, impossible to shake off. Instead of calling him "Elder Brother" in a halfhearted manner, she sweetly calls him "Big Brother." But that day still comes. The real heiress returns, and everyone begins to shun and look down on Qi Yanying again. On the day the real heiress is welcomed back into the family, her brother presides over the ceremony. "I hate you all!" She smashes a vase and tears up a rare book in Qi Yue's study. Perhaps she twists her ankle and it hurts too much, because for the first time, her usually bold, carefree eyes glisten with tears. Qi Yanying knocks the medicine jar from his hand. "Don't think I'll forgive you just because you're putting on a fake show of concern. One day, I'll trample every one of you underfoot!" Qi Yue pays no mind to the wreckage scattered across the floor. He only gazes at the tears on her face, his expression unreadable. His long, cool fingers wipe the tears from her eyes. He uses a little too much force, leaving faint red marks on her delicate, pale cheek. Even when she cries, his little sister is beautiful. - Though she'd lost her status, at least she still had her beauty. Qi Yanying resolves to marry into a powerful family and take revenge on everyone one day. After finally getting what she wants, with her wedding date drawing near, her temper grows stranger by the day, and she often disappears without a trace. As everyone searches anxiously, two figures stand close together in the eldest young master's study. "A young master of the Boling Cui clan probably can't help you do anything to your big brother." Qi Yue's voice is soft, a smile playing on his lips. He still looks like the same serene, gentle, and courteous gentleman as always, but the hand gripping her ankle holds her with an unyielding strength. "If you want to trample your big brother underfoot, you'll have to rely on yourself, Yanying." Notes: 1. A spoiled, carefree, and foolish beauty who never overthinks * a fake gentleman who is secretly an obsessive, possessive noble heir. 2. The leads are not related by blood, and the heroine's origins hold another secret. 3. One-on-one romance, both leads are virgins, happy ending. Premise: A sincere heart is worth its weight in gold.