In the twenty-fourth year of the Jinghe era, after the turmoil of four princes fighting for the throne, the Great Yan dynasty welcomed a new ruler.
The new emperor, Xiao Kexing, was a gentle and refined gentleman, beloved by the people.
He spent his days praying to Buddha and studying the scriptures, beseeching blessings for the realm.
People of his time all called him a wise ruler, and everyone rushed to curry favor with him.
Only Ruan Mingluan was terrified of him.
No one knew that, when the new emperor was still Prince Jin, Mingluan had shamelessly seduced him.
He was no gentleman at all, but a sinister, vicious wolf.
Mingluan was elegant and graceful, delicate and beautiful, the most beautiful woman in the capital.
She was of noble birth and greatly favored by the empress dowager.
But even a beauty can have a time when she must ask for help.
That night, snow-white skin fell among cherry blossoms, tender branches trembled,
and rain and dew from a celestial spring spread through the room.
Yet by dawn, Xiao Kexing had completely forgotten the passion of the previous night.
Mingluan was stunned and could only seek another way.
Later, she discovered that Xiao Kexing had two personalities.
By day, he was a gentle, refined gentleman, aloof as a flower on a high peak, teasing and tempting her until she fell into a whirlpool of tenderness.
By night, he was a mad, violent, possessive tyrant, threatening her in a low whisper and forbidding her to tell his other self the next day.
Mingluan wanted nothing more to do with either of them.
But by then, she could no longer escape.
When Xiao Kexing left for Yangzhou on an inspection tour, she immediately asked the empress dowager to arrange her marriage.
But the wedding was interrupted, and her husband was hurriedly summoned away. They never even completed the wedding rites.
That night, however, the bridal chamber was warm beneath the curtains, candlelight mingling as they entwined until midnight.
[Bonus Scene]
Ruan Mingluan discovered the new emperor's sinister personality and wanted to tell his gentlemanly personality, but the sinister personality caught her.
Fingers roughened by thin calluses stroked Mingluan's vulnerable neck,
leaving her body tingling with heat.
After a long pause, he said darkly, "You're being naughty. How can you tell someone else the secret between us?"
Mingluan trembled all over and said hoarsely, "Your Majesty, I... I won't dare again."
Unfortunately, it was too late. The man's long fingers slowly toyed with her skirts, making it clear that he intended to punish her.
That night, candle wax piled high as the woman's hoarse pleas for mercy accompanied the flames until dawn.
Notes:
Special thanks to the artist for the cover!
1. I can only guarantee sweetness during the day. Nights are another matter.
2. The personalities switch at midnight. Both are exceptionally capable. The sinister personality knows about the gentlemanly one, but the gentlemanly one is in the dark.
3. Long-planned schemes, possessive pursuit.
4. Also known as The Buddha's Difficult Crossing.
Theme: Let's build a better tomorrow together!
