Rich Wine and Springtime

The blurb for my upcoming novel next door, Unmatched in His Charms, is below. Take a look~

Blurb for this novel: Wen Ling receives a secret report from her organization: the Military Governor of Xihe may be the assassination target they have been searching for for years. Assigned to the mission, she disguises herself as a maid deeply in love with Lord Pei and infiltrates the Pei residence.

Pei Shilang, Xihe's number-one wastrel, has just returned home when he spots someone sneaking around and picking the lock on his elder brother's door.

At their first meeting, that person is lounging behind the desk, eyes full of amusement and teasing. Wen Ling suppresses the undercurrents in her gaze and insists that her background is spotless.

Two groups of investigators look into her, and both report, "Her identity checks out. There's nothing wrong."

Pei Shilang keeps this troublemaker by his side, testing her every day. His conclusion:

"She seems... maybe she really is all right?"

As Wen Ling serves at his side, the look in his eyes grows increasingly strange. The way he looks at her starts to resemble the person she has kept hidden in her heart.

As the past unfolds, she finally realizes that the person beside her is the true assassination target her organization has been looking for. Yet Wen Ling receives a degree of favor from him that she has never known before, and her assassination mission is on the verge of failure.

Wen Ling carries a plate of poisoned pastries, ready to knock on the Military Governor's door. The next moment, that familiar figure appears before her once again. There is not a trace of amusement in his eyes now, only anger and disappointment.

Without a word, he throws the pastries into the bushes and walks away without looking back.

Wen Ling clutches her hem, appearing helpless, but can only smile bitterly inside. She never expected anyone to eat those pastries. She had simply handed him her own leverage with her own hands.

After her identity is exposed to the public, Wen Ling waits for him to take revenge. She never expected the pampered young lord to humble himself and beg her to stay. He stands alone against every storm for her, clearing away the endless brambles in her path.

Later, the young lord, covered in wounds, brings down the so-called organization and staggers toward her. "Can you stay by my side forever now?"

"I've always been by your side."

1. This is my personal kink. I can't think of any squicks for now.

2. Updates will follow the rankings for now (if it isn't ranked, pretend I didn't say anything).

3. A fictional setting, fantastically and utterly divorced from reality.

4. One true pairing, happy ending. Feel free to dive in.

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Below is my upcoming novel, Unmatched in His Charms. Please add it to your favorites, everyone!

The eldest legitimate daughter of the Duke of Jing's household, Jiang Yuezhi, is as radiant as rosy clouds and as graceful as moonlight, pure as jade and steadfast as pine. Everyone knows she is the clear choice for Crown Princess. She advances cautiously, one careful step at a time, but just before His Majesty is about to appoint the Crown Princess, she meets someone.

When they first meet, he is sketching by the river with his students. The warm sunlight falls across his face, lending him an aloof air, as though he belongs to another world.

At the Luqiong Banquet, he wears an actor's costume and plays the zither with elegant hands. The pair of eyes visible beneath his veil alone are enough to bewitch every noblewoman present.

The princess royal grips his chin. The harsh liquor splashes across his robes and reddens his eyes. Tears stream down his face, his fragile appearance stirring pity.

Jiang Yuezhi steps in to help him, never realizing she is pouring a spring of fresh water onto parched earth.

Later, a young male courtesan is put up for auction in the pleasure quarter. That person sits behind a curtain, barely visible, his body trembling faintly.

As if recognizing a familiar face, he reaches toward her in longing. "My lady, please save me."

That night, the two drink together beneath the moon. The beauty's face is hidden in the moonlight, hazy and dreamlike.

Jiang Yuezhi spends a fortune on him. The next day, the whole city is in an uproar. The future Crown Princess falls from her pedestal, and the Duke of Jing confines her in a nunnery.

Liu Shimu is graceful and handsome, the best-looking young courtesan in the establishment. After returning from the banquet, he decides to auction off his first night. He sits upright behind the curtain, and only when he sees that figure does he reach out with tender longing.

When he learns she has gone to the nunnery, he abandons everything to follow her.

The meditation room is austere, so he plants a tree covered in pear blossoms for her. Outside the room, he wears only a light robe to chase away the wildcats in the mountain.

He thinks their days will remain peaceful, but an imperial edict appoints Jiang Yuezhi Crown Princess after all, placing her above countless others.

She willingly enters the Cold Palace, and he stays by her side.

A coup erupts. The Crown Prince takes the throne, and as the decree appointing the empress is on its way, the Eastern Palace catches fire. Beneath the walls of the Cold Palace, two charred bodies lie locked in an embrace.

The new emperor rules with benevolence, marries the Duke's second daughter, and grants a general amnesty.

Yet in Jiangnan, a formidable noblewoman appears, spreading her trading houses throughout Dachang. Suitors are nearly breaking down her door, but Shopkeeper Jiang only smiles and points to a figure in the rain.

"My husband is waiting for me at home, so I'm afraid I must take my leave."

Jiangnan is rainy, and rain brings sorrow. A man stands beneath an umbrella, just as he once reached out to her years ago.

He says, "I'm here to take you home."

Theme: Embrace freedom.