My Brooding Older Brother Has His Eye on Me

Pei Qinglan, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's Pei family, was born with beauty beyond compare. With an elder brother above her and a younger brother below, she was cherished by her whole family. But her marriage prospects were cursed. She was engaged three times: one fiance ran away with someone else, another was arrested and sent to prison, and the third had a child with a concubine before the wedding. Each scandal swept through the capital, and Pei Qinglan became a laughingstock among the city's nobility.

Some said the eldest daughter of the Pei family must be a jinx, destined never to marry.

What they didn't know was that her elder brother had arranged everything.

Pei Zhi, eldest son of the Duke of Zhenguo, entered officialdom at a young age and was personally appointed by the emperor as Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He was scrupulous about propriety, as bright and upright as the moonlit pines. Though past twenty, he remained unmarried, and countless noblewomen in the capital dreamed of him.

Pei Zhi had loved and protected his younger sister Qinglan since childhood, willing to place every treasure in the world at her feet.

By chance, he learned that Qinglan was not of the Pei bloodline, but the daughter of a disgraced official. From then on, an unmentionable thought began to grow wildly in the darkness.

The Duke and Duchess of Zhenguo were going gray with worry over their daughter's marriage, but Qinglan didn't mind. If need be, she would simply never marry and stay by her parents' side, forever their sweet, well-behaved girl.

Pei Zhi, always solemn and sparing with words: Even if my sister stays home her whole life, I can afford to support her.

The Duke and Duchess of Zhenguo both glared at him.

*

After her background was revealed, the women of the Pei family often mocked her. Her grandmother, who valued the family's bloodline above all, found her especially hard to accept. Feeling that she no longer belonged, Qinglan left and rented a small courtyard in the capital, making a living by painting and calligraphy.

To her surprise, a distinguished guest began visiting her shabby little courtyard every day: her elder brother, Pei Zhi.

He pinned her against the door, his breath brushing her nose. His long arms encircled her slender waist, and desire lurked in his deep eyes. His usual restraint and propriety were nowhere to be seen.

Qinglan was so frightened her face turned pale. "Elder Brother, what are you doing?"

"Hush. Don't call me Elder Brother. Call me A Zhi."

*

[Not blood-related siblings, both virgins, romance begins only after their familial relationship is dissolved]

[Sheltered young lady and scheming nobleman, three-year age gap]

Seeking advance readers for "Pearl in Her Heart"

Ming Shu is a spy, but the least capable and most foolish one in the organization. Apart from her pretty face, it's hard to find a single other redeeming quality. Yet the organization assigns her to keep an eye on the emperor's eldest grandson, Pei Yan, on the grounds that a fool is less likely to arouse suspicion.

And so she infiltrates the residence of the eldest grandson and becomes Pei Yan's personal maid.

She swears to use this opportunity to prove to the organization that she's the best spy there is.

Pei Yan, the orphaned son of the deposed crown prince, is ruthless and cruel, with a volatile temper. They say servants are often dragged out of his residence with their skin beaten raw, and even dogs that wander past get skinned alive.

Ming Shu walks on eggshells every day, feeling as though the King of Hell could come for her at any moment. Even her hand trembles as she grinds ink. To her surprise, Pei Yan's long, elegant fingers slide onto the back of her hand and stroke it with unmistakable intimacy.

Ming Shu's heart pounds. "I never heard that this line of work required you to sell yourself..."

She has no choice but to play along with Pei Yan, feigning affection so she can pass information to the organization every so often. But then Pei Yan cooks the carrier pigeons she uses to send messages.

Later, Pei Yan eliminates his rivals and ascends the throne, and the secrets Ming Shu learns as a spy grow ever more dangerous.

Afraid her identity will be exposed, she prepares to flee, only for him to pull her back into his arms again and again. His fingertips caress every inch of her skin as he murmurs, "A Shu knows my secrets. I want to know the secrets of your body, too."

Ming Shu is forced to pleasure him, suffering his "punishment" again and again.

*

Pei Yan is a man who clawed his way out of a pile of corpses. Weeds have long overgrown his heart, but now a little maid has appeared at his side, her bright eyes shining and all her thoughts written plainly on her face.

Since she wants to be an excellent spy, he might as well play along.

But as they keep playing, he gives her the empress's throne, and places the imperial seal in her hands.

Seeking advance readers for "After Failing to Seduce the Cruel Minister"

A cruel, cold-hearted powerful minister and a clever little rabbit who acts like a lecher

Jiang Ci is a hostage princess sent from the Northern Jiang Kingdom to the Kingdom of Jin. In truth, she's merely the Northern Jiang emperor's adopted daughter, sent in place of the real princess.

The emperor of Jin assigns her a residence next to the Qingyuan Marquis's manor, supposedly so she can learn etiquette from the young lady of the manor, but really to keep her under surveillance. The heir of the marquis, Pei Yu, is said to be a high-ranking official, sinister and ruthless, and disinterested in women. Worst of all, he hates the people of Northern Jiang more than anything.

Every time Jiang Ci enters the marquis's manor, she silently prays, "Buddha, please don't let me run into Pei Yu. Please, please..."

Then one day, a secret letter arrives from Northern Jiang, ordering her to get close to Pei Yu, bewitch him, and seize the military plans of Jin.

Jiang Ci: "Why not just hand me a rope and let me hang myself?"

Before long, rumors that Jiang Ci is infatuated with Pei Yu spread throughout the capital. The Northern Jiang princess is captivated by the heir's looks and utterly devoted to him: she sends him winter clothes when it gets cold, iced drinks when it gets hot, and even personally embroiders pouches and handkerchiefs for him.

Pei Yu tells her, "Don't waste your time. I will never fall for you."

Jiang Ci thinks, "Tch. Who wants your heart? If it weren't for those military plans, I wouldn't give a damn about you."

She still brings her lessons to Pei Yu every day and asks for his help, trying to get close to him. She even pretends to fall into the lake, hoping he'll rescue her, but all she gets is a curt, "Have you no shame?"

Yet somehow, one day Jiang Ci stops showing up at the marquis's manor and stops coming to lessons.

Pei Yu has grown used to her chattering away at the manor, used to her ingratiating herself with him every day over her lessons. Why has that bright, beautiful face stopped appearing?

When she doesn't come, he sends people to find out what she's doing.

The spies report that the princess sleeps until late morning every day and has invited quite a few handsome young men to her residence, saying every one of them is to her liking.

Pei Yu's face turns livid. "Then what am I?"

Theme: Only an unbreakable heart can find peace and happiness.