The Noble Consort Is in a Bind

Spy Beauty vs. a Repressed, Self-Controlled Emperor Who Finally Snaps

Sent into the palace as a pawn, Yan Qi knew her job was to seduce the new emperor and become a femme fatale. She was to bring Shen Jin, a brilliant young man who had never made a mistake, crashing down from his pedestal and earn him the hatred of everyone.

Her parents and relatives were in someone else's hands. She didn't want to do it, but she had no choice if she wanted to stay alive.

At their first meeting, he gave her a cold glance and nothing more. When she made the first move, he lifted her chin. Disgust was plain in his eyes as his gaze swept over her, though his voice remained calm. "You think you're up to it?"

An unexpected moment of genuine affection started it all.

After countless nights lost in passion and swept away by her deliberate tenderness, he truly changed his attitude toward her, indulging and spoiling her in every way.

On her birthday, even the officials' objections were useless. Fireworks blazed over the capital all night, bright as day.

Because she had said she wanted to see them.

When the first memorial urging the emperor to execute the Noble Consort was submitted, Yan Qi knew she had succeeded.

But Shen Jin stood firmly by her. Only when he held her in private did he let his weariness show for a moment.

Yan Qi thought, enough.

She didn't want to be anyone's pawn anymore. She didn't want to drag him down, and she wanted to set herself free, too.

So she faked her death, escaped the capital, and left the entanglements of worldly life behind.

Life in the mountains was hard, but Yan Qi felt at peace. Her days in the palace seemed like a dream now. She accepted a scholar's proposal, hoping to leave the past behind for good.

On her wedding day, as she was taking part in the ceremony, Shen Jin appeared in the most remote mountain village, though he should have been in the palace marrying his new empress.

He advanced on her step by step. Terrified, Yan Qi backed away until she stepped on her hem and fell awkwardly to the ground. No one dared to help her.

Shen Jin leaned down toward her, gently stroking her cheek. His gaze settled on the glaring red of her wedding clothes. He smiled tenderly, but his words were cruel. "Noble Consort, if you're going to keep pretending, why not keep it up forever?"

As Yan Qi trembled uncontrollably, Shen Jin rose and coldly walked away. Before leaving, he ordered the guards below, "If the Noble Consort doesn't follow willingly, kill everyone here."

He had known all along.

Content warnings:

Not a traditional palace-intrigue story. One-on-one romance, both leads' first times, happy ending.

Classic melodramatic angst with a sweet-and-sour flavor. [Highlight]

Here's an extra-sweet upcoming story, No. 1: A Special Fondness for You~

Recently, two major events took place in the capital.

The first was the marriage of Ruan Tao, the Chancellor's only daughter, to Lu Yanzhi, the Censor's eldest son.

They sounded like a perfect match, but everyone knew this marriage was doomed.

One was hopelessly in love with a young prince and swore she would marry no one else, stirring up gossip throughout the city. The other had no interest in romance and had nearly become a monk.

These two had nothing to do with each other. They even fought in public before their wedding, so after getting married, they were almost certain to become a resentful couple.

And that's exactly what happened. On their wedding night, the newlyweds fought so badly they wrecked the bridal chamber, then moved into separate quarters.

The second event was that the couple was attacked on the day they returned to the bride's family home. Ruan Tao fell into the water and nearly died. It took a gathering of the imperial physicians to save her life.

When she opened her eyes, Ruan Tao had lost her memory. Looking at the man standing by the window, she found his green robes familiar and asked, "...Who are you?"

Lu Yanzhi turned around and raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Your beloved husband."

At first, when he learned that Ruan Tao had lost her memory, Lu Yanzhi lied to her purely to get revenge.

He wanted payback for her kicking him out of bed on their wedding night, then shamelessly declaring after they married that she was in love with someone else, making him a laughingstock.

He only meant to tease her for a few days before telling her the truth.

The first time Lu Yanzhi tried to confess, Ruan Tao had just woken up and was still drowsy. She reached for him and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Husband, hold me."

It didn't seem like the right moment.

Some time later, they both had something they wanted to say to each other.

Lu Yanzhi had just opened his mouth when Ruan Tao took his hand and placed it over her heart. Her cheeks flushed, and her long, raven-blue lashes lowered as she whispered, "Husband, you were right. I really am in love with you."

"My heart beats so fast whenever I see you. Listen."

Lu Yanzhi: "..."

He could never bring himself to say it again.

At first, he only wanted to deceive her for a few days and see how angry she'd be when she learned the truth.

But once he had tasted what it was like to be cherished by her, he was consumed by it, unable to escape the temptation. Selfishly, he hoped she'd never get her memory back.

[For details on upcoming stories No. 2, Returning Together, and No. 3, Your Brother Is No Saint, see the author's profile!]

Theme: Why shouldn't we cherish ourselves above all else, when we only get one life?