I Won the Heart of the Aloof Beauty by Writing Romance Stories

Yan Dongling was a storyteller whose tales were wildly popular. But when she suddenly hit writer's block, she turned her attention to Li Wuhan.

Li Wuhan was the heir to the Boyuan Marquis's household, elegant and aloof, cold as frost.

As it happened, he was just like the male lead in the story Yan Dongling was stuck on: a cold, aloof flower atop a high peak.

But Yan Dongling thought he was putting on an act.

One day, at a banquet, someone brought up her citywide hit story, and he had coolly remarked, "Indecent and incomprehensible."

Yan Dongling was furious. She thought him a fool who couldn't recognize talent, and from then on, she went out of her way to avoid him whenever they crossed paths.

Still, to find inspiration for her story, Yan Dongling decided to use Li Wuhan as a model and keep writing.

*

Li Wuhan had been quite troubled lately. The second daughter of Minister Yan seemed excessively infatuated with him.

At every banquet in the capital, she gazed at him dreamily. She went out of her way to arrange chance encounters and even bribed the servants around him to find out about him.

He decided to find an opportunity to make things clear to her.

At a banquet one day, the noble young ladies were playing with flower balls. Someone said, "We're going to stroll through the gardens later. Why don't we take our flower balls and invite the young gentlemen over there?"

He saw Yan Dongling holding a flower ball and walking in his direction.

Li Wuhan straightened his expression, ready to refuse her, but she handed the flower ball to the friend standing beside him instead.

The young lady held up the flower ball and smiled sweetly. "Congratulations on passing the exam, top scholar!"

Li Wuhan's outstretched hand froze halfway...

Servant's Diary

March 15, sunny

I heard that Miss Yan rescued a kitten from a group of mischievous children. The young master actually smiled for once and said that although Miss Yan seemed naughty, she had a kind heart.

Start of summer, heavy rain

Something happened to Miss Yan. The young master hurried off to see her, forgetting to put on his outer robe.

March 28, sunny

The young master went to give a lecture at the academy today. Miss Yan secretly read a storybook in his class.

Strange. The young master is so stern and impartial, yet he didn't call her out.

April, sunny

I heard that Miss Yan had arranged to go boating with Top Scholar Hang. The young master insisted on inviting Top Scholar Hang for a drink.

Top Scholar Hang got drunk, and the young master went to meet her himself...

"My Wife's Tongue Is Like a Lotus"

Ming Shan has a strange affliction: if she doesn't sincerely praise ten people in a day, her heart aches terribly and she coughs up blood.

To stay alive, she has no choice but to greet everyone with a smile and hand out compliments like they're free.

Thanks to her silver tongue, this unloved illegitimate daughter of the Shaoqing's household managed to grow up safely to the age of sixteen.

But not everyone in the world likes to hear sweet words.

Xie Heng, the powerful head of the judicial bureau, is known as the "Cold-Faced Yama." He hates flattery and sycophancy more than anything.

But at the palace banquet, Ming Shan slipped and fell into the water, grabbing him as he happened to be passing by the pond.

In full view of everyone, their clothes were soaked through.

An imperial edict decreed their marriage. Xie Heng looked at her coldly, convinced she was scheming and had married him only to climb the social ladder.

Before she could give herself away, he saw her fluttering around him like a sparrow every day, saying all sorts of shameless things.

"My husband is peerlessly handsome, the most elegant man in the capital."

"My husband's swordsmanship is divine. Just seeing it is unforgettable!"

Xie Heng closed his eyes and pressed his knuckles to his temple.

What a chatterbox.

One day, Ming Shan leaned over to watch him drink his tea, then suddenly said:

"My husband's lips are so rosy. They look so soft."

She said it casually, as if she were remarking that the sun was out or a sparrow was perched beneath the eaves.

As soon as she finished speaking, a clear birdcall sounded outside the window.

Her eyes lit up, and she gathered her skirt and ran after it.

Suddenly, he was alone at the desk.

After a long while,

he lowered his gaze and set down his teacup.

His fingertip brushed lightly across his lower lip.

Then he abruptly stopped.

Xie Heng considered himself hard as iron, certain he would never be swayed by a few sweet words.

That is, until the day of a banquet at the Duke's residence.

He took his usual seat, only to see her beaming at the young master of the Duke's household.

"Young Master, you're so refined. That jade crown suits you perfectly. You're the most distinguished gentleman in the capital."

Xie Heng's hand paused slightly as he held his cup.

Those were the exact same words she'd used to praise his jade hairpin three days ago.

The teacup in his hand suddenly shattered.

That night, Xie Heng held her down on the bed, his eyes dark and his voice cold.

"Ming Shan, are you this devoted to everyone?"

Ming Shan's heart suddenly clenched. Oh no, she still had one person left to praise today!

She hurriedly said, "Husband! You're peerlessly handsome, magnificent, wise, mighty, and decisive..."

Xie Heng was exasperated. He bent down and sealed her lips with a kiss. "...Be quiet."

Heroine: A praise-for-life expert, using sweet words to stay alive. She's genuinely just afraid of dying.

Hero: Pretends to hate it but secretly loves it, annoyed when she praises him and jealous when she doesn't, a cold-faced, secretly passionate jealous man.

Theme: Stay positive, independent, and strong