I Refuse to Be the Empress

[Completed. The entire novel costs just three yuan.]

Bai Zhi is an assassin: highly skilled in combat, devoid of emotion, and concerned only with eating, drinking, and living freely and carefree.

That is, until she meets Murong Yu, a calculating and crafty man with a deep mind.

He is the crown prince of the empire, a bright moon in the heavens, nothing like people such as her, who lurk in the shadows, hidden from the light.

After she is ordered to kidnap him, her life turns miserable. Not only does she have to take care of all his needs, she must also keep an eye on him every moment to stop him from escaping.

He is devious and sly, and schemes against her time and time again.

His tongue is sharp. He mocks her for knowing nothing about love, not even how men and women have children, and even says she still smells of milk.

He is also vindictive, telling her that her life will one day be his.

Later, when he regains his freedom, he really does have her thrown in prison. She loves to eat, so he refuses to let anyone bring her food. She is afraid of the cold, so he will not even give her a blanket.

When he has nothing better to do, he has her brought before him so she can watch him embrace beautiful women and revel in pleasure.

Bai Zhi sees nothing but the fragrant pastries on the table in front of him. But, for some reason, he suddenly knocks them over, not even letting her look at them.

* * *

At his lowest point, Murong Yu wanted to cut Bai Zhi to pieces.

He wanted to kill her countless times.

But when she was truly facing death,

he realized he did not want her dead as much as he thought.

Murong Yu realizes his feelings before Bai Zhi does.

He understands his own heart, but resents her for being as wooden as a plank.

She is a plank that cannot take a hint. She cannot see his jealousy and remains utterly indifferent, making him seem as if he is acting out a one-man show.

But he is heaven's favored son, destined to become the emperor. His empress cannot be an assassin.

#His empress can't be an assassin, but no one said an assassin's husband can't be the emperor. #

#The male lead has Stockholm syndrome.#

P.S. Both leads are each other's first and only.

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Recommended completed novels from my author page: "The Principal Wife": The chaste fall, while the wanton remain virtuous.

"The General and the Widow": A young general and a true widow.

"Beneath the Skirts": A distant, aloof beauty falls in love through hatred.

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Pre-release: "Hui Niang". Check out the author's page to save it.

Hui Niang is a country woman, timid and withdrawn, who dislikes socializing. Her husband is a gambler and a heavy drinker. Whenever he loses money and comes home drunk, he takes his anger out on her. Desperate to escape that home, she turns to an elder relative who works as a cook at the Prince of Chu's manor, and manages to get a job there as a low-ranking maid.

Hui Niang is the lowest-ranking maid. She has never seen the master of the manor, and has only heard that in court he can turn the clouds with one hand and summon rain with the other, so powerful that even the emperor fears him. People call him the Jade-Faced King of Hell.

The name Jade-Faced refers to his peerless good looks, while King of Hell describes his twisted and brutal nature. Anyone who crosses him meets a terrible end.

Hui Niang is already afraid of him before she has even seen him.

One stormy night, she goes outside to relieve herself and finds an injured man unconscious in the rain. Feeling pity for him, she hides him in the woodshed and bandages his wounds. In his delirium, he says he is cold, so Hui Niang hurries back to fetch a blanket. When she returns, the man has vanished without a trace.

Later, she spots Prince Chu, Dongfang He, in a crowd and is astonished to realize he is the man who was injured.

He casts her a glance, his face stern and cold, like a grim reaper. Hui Niang keeps her head bowed, trembling with fear.

The third time they meet, he bursts into her home while fleeing an assassination attempt. Her husband is away, so she lets him hide there for the night. Dongfang He does not say a word to her and leaves the next morning without a farewell.

She thinks he never gave her a second thought, until that day...

Her husband beats her until she is covered in blood. Barefoot and weeping, she runs out of the house and collapses by the road. By sheer coincidence, Dongfang He is there with several powerful men, visiting the countryside to enjoy the scenery.

The powerful men look at her with curiosity, indifference, or amusement. Hui Niang curls up her battered body, wishing she could sink into the earth.

Then Dongfang He walks toward her and holds out his hand.

His hand is long-fingered and clean, as beautiful as jade. Hers is rough and calloused, like a bundle of dead twigs. She does not dare reach for his, afraid of dirtying it.

Yet he waits patiently.

She lifts her head in surprise and looks up at him. Meeting his cold eyes, she silently begins to cry.

So she had been living in hell all along...

And the Jade-Faced King of Hell was the one who would protect her. She should never have been afraid of him.

A mutually healing story about a kindhearted, socially withdrawn woman and a cold, unhinged man.

Blurb: 2024.3.3

Theme: Freedom is the most precious thing.