The Phoenix's Will

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[Proud, face-saving princess × aloof attendant of uncertain disposition]

[Second male lead rises to the top / pursuit of the wife fails / proud heroine never grovels]

Everyone in the capital knew that Princess Xuanyu, Rong Qianxi, loved Lord Zhou.

As the emperor's beloved daughter, she was spoiled and haughty, convinced the world belonged to her.

Everything she wanted was within easy reach.

But Lord Zhou refused to return her affection. Perhaps unwilling to become involved with her, he sent a man to her residence to serve as her male attendant.

Humiliated and furious, Rong Qianxi felt she had suffered the greatest disgrace!

She wanted to vent her anger on the attendant sent to her, making him stand in for Lord Zhou and stay by her side day and night, suffering every humiliation she had endured.

As her attendant, this was what he deserved.

But when Rong Qianxi approached him, she suddenly realized how handsome he was: elegant and cool, with a face as flawless as jade and an air like an immortal...

When she saw him smile faintly without a word, she inexplicably wanted to get closer.

"Your Highness, rest. Allow me."

She heard the man before her murmur those words, then found herself falling into his arms in a daze.

*

He had never been interested in romance. Burdened by hatred, he had been down on his luck for a long time...

He had plotted at every turn and was already doomed to suffer for eternity. All he wanted was a place to shelter.

But this proud, beautiful woman, so charming and graceful in his arms, had unknowingly stolen his heart.

What was he supposed to do now?

So be it. He would keep his promise and protect her from worry for the rest of her life.

One day, Rong Qianxi blushed like a peach blossom, hesitating for a long while before finally speaking.

"Yunzhi, I like you."

"I don't know if romance can last in this world. Maybe this is just a passing fancy. I can't promise you a future or a lifetime together. I..."

"That's enough. This is enough."

"A little of Your Highness's affection is all I need. Leave the rest to me."

With that tiny spark of feeling, Gu Yunzhi could hold the Xuanyu Princess of the Chen Kingdom firmly in his grasp, trapping her for life in a bottomless abyss where he alone awaited her, never to be escaped.

*

In the end, seeking her forgiveness, he knelt slowly with his eyes closed in the midst of a heavy snowfall, dressed in white before the striking, imperious figure.

What awaited him was her leaning down to embrace him.

"I forgave you long ago, when the snow lay a foot deep."

"Yunzhi, I forgive you."

Reader's Notes:

1. Proud, face-saving princess × aloof attendant of uncertain disposition. The second male lead rises to the top.

2. Happy ending, both leads are sexually inexperienced. The attendant has another hidden identity. He isn't mad by nature, but he will go mad for the one he loves.

3. The heroine is rather humble early on because of her unrequited love. Later, she becomes level-headed and takes charge of her life, rising again while remaining noble and on equal footing with the second male lead. They share a stimulating push and pull. This is a story about two strong characters, with a heroine who grows over time.

Theme: Break free from your cocoon and grow through hardship and setbacks.