Lotus Blossom Pink

[Blurbs for upcoming novels “A Yuan,” “Huai Tao,” “Jin Rou,” and more are included below. Please add them to your reading list!]

On the third day Xu Lingfu had knelt before the county office with her parents’ bodies, Zhao Chengyi finally appeared in front of her.

He said, “The dead owe no more debts, and gratitude ends with them. This marriage should be considered void.”

Xu Lingfu raised her eyes. His gaze was as cool as ever, and his tone was as casual as if they were chatting about everyday matters.

“Fine.” She tugged at the corner of her mouth, but just as Zhao Chengyi turned to leave, she called after him. “May your future be bright, Brother Yi.”

His slender back seemed to pause, but only for an instant. His steps soon grew resolute again, as if that moment of hesitation had been nothing but an illusion.

They met again two years later, when Xu Lingfu was at her most wretched.

The spoiled young lady of the Qin family raised her whip, leaving two bloody welts across Xu Lingfu’s body.

But the third lash never fell. Just as Xu Lingfu was about to look up, she heard that familiar voice.

He said, “She’s only a servant. Why should you sully your hands over her, Miss Qin?”

Miss Qin smiled sweetly. “You’re right, Your Highness. I won’t waste any more time on her, then. I’ll just make her kneel for another two hours.”

Their laughter faded into the distance, while Xu Lingfu remained kneeling on the ground, never once stepping out of line.

She thought, it would be best if they never met again.

But when the day finally came for her to have the wedding she had wished for, footsteps approached from beneath her red bridal veil, accompanied by a faint sigh. “A Fu, it seems I have to keep you by my side to make you behave.”

****************Upcoming Novel One: “Huai Tao”******************

Everyone in the capital knew that Xue Huaitao had begged on her knees for her marriage to Zhao Chengan.

Huaitao was from Qingzhou. Her family had been merchants for generations, and they had once been quite wealthy.

But five years ago, disaster struck. Her father and brothers were killed by bandits, and her mother followed them in death, overcome with grief.

Huaitao had planned to keep the family business afloat, but the uncle and aunt who had treated her like their own daughter showed their true colors. They seized the family fortune and, to eliminate any future trouble, tried to sell her to a brothel.

Seeking protection, she had no choice but to take the old marriage contract to the Zhao family.

The years Xue Huaitao spent in the Zhao household after marrying in were miserable.

Not only did Madam Zhao make things difficult for her at every turn, but her sister-in-law never showed her any respect, and even the maids looked down on her.

Zhao Chengan disliked her even more.

A merchant’s daughter, reeking of money. He thought she must be a schemer, even using her marriage as a way to cash in on a past favor.

But since she had become his wife, he had to show her some respect, however little he liked her.

Over the three years of their marriage, they had managed to live in relative peace.

Sometimes he saw her stitching garments for him, one thread at a time, staying up all night to make him ginger soup, or keeping watch by his side day after day when he was gravely ill from poisoning.

Zhao Chengan couldn’t help thinking that, selfish and calculating as she might be, she was at least sincere in her feelings for him.

Perhaps their life together wasn’t so bad after all.

But then, beneath a cascade of wisteria, he saw with his own eyes his wife, who had always seemed to have eyes only for him, press a handful of silver into the hands of a refined-looking young man. She lowered her voice and said, “Hurry and leave. Don’t let him see you.”

********************Upcoming Novel Two: “A Yuan”********************

A Yuan was sold into the Minister’s residence as a servant when she was eight.

The people she feared most weren’t the fierce-looking matrons, but Miss Gu Lanqing, who was known for her kindness outside the residence.

A Yuan had seen how she tormented people. She could drive someone to their death without anyone being the wiser.

But A Yuan had always been cautious, never giving anyone cause to find fault with her. So she managed to live peacefully in the Minister’s residence, until the day she saw the servant Gu Lanqing had bought from outside: Yu Jing.

*

Yu Jing had once saved A Yuan by giving a starving girl a plain steamed bun on an endless street.

So A Yuan wanted to save him in return. When he was framed and sold into servitude, she stood in front of him and protected him with all her might.

She even drank the bowl of soup laced with deadly poison in his place.

That night, Yu Jing held her body, drenched in black blood, and vowed to make them pay for everything they had done to her.

And he did.

In just two years, he found evidence that overturned the old case. His accomplishments brought him even greater glory than before, while the Minister’s family fell into ruin after being implicated in its old crimes.

For two taels of silver, Yu Jing bought the once highborn Miss of the Minister’s household and brought her into his residence as the lowliest of servants.

He humiliated and trampled on her every day. Even the medicine A Yuan took daily to purge the poison contained an ingredient that was none other than blood from Gu Lanqing’s wrist.

A Yuan thought Yu Jing hated Gu Lanqing.

But one day, she saw him holding Gu Lanqing tightly in his arms, as if he wanted to press her into his very bones…

********************Upcoming Novel Three: “Jin Rou”********************

Xu Jinrou had a miserable life.

Her father and brothers disliked her, and her mother favored the adopted daughter she had raised by her side.

The only sweetness she ever tasted came from Xie Xingyun.

Sadly, neither of them met a good end.

Two cups of poison ended both their lives.

As she lay dying, she gripped Xie Xingyun’s hand and told him that if there were another life, she would stay with him forever.

Xie Xingyun nodded too.

Later, Heaven truly granted her another chance at life. Overjoyed, she rushed to see Xie Xingyun.

Beneath a cascade of wisteria, she saw two figures standing close together. The elder sister she had resented all her life held Xie Xingyun’s hand and pleaded, “Brother Xingyun, why don’t you marry her? Then I can finally be at ease.”

Xu Jinrou’s heart sank. She heard Xie Xingyun answer, his voice strained, “All right. I’ll marry her.”

Xie Xingyun thought he would love Xu Jinning for the rest of his life.

But as he drank the cup of poison, he looked at the frail figure who had accompanied him to a peaceful death without the slightest hesitation.

He suddenly realized that he had fallen in love with her long ago.

Theme: Treasure the person by your side.