After I Was Forced to Sleep with My Childhood Rival

Enemies to lovers | Secret identity revealed | Male lead has a secret crush

Li Zhao is the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Li's household. As beautiful as a spring blossom and exceptionally talented, she comes first in the academy's yearly examinations without fail.

The only thing she is slightly worse at is archery and horsemanship, where Xiao Heng has the edge.

Xiao Heng is handsome and well-born, the legitimate son of the Duke of Xiao's household and the current empress's nephew.

Li Zhao and Xiao Heng grew up together, more or less.

But Li Zhao absolutely loathes him.

She hates how Xiao Heng never takes anything seriously, yet the teacher still praises his literary talent. She hates how he is always grinning and has a crowd of people around him wherever he goes. And she hates how he always beats her at archery and horsemanship.

But the estates of the Duke of Li and the Duke of Xiao are separated by only a single wall.

After lessons, as soon as she gets home, she has to look at Xiao Heng's detestable face.

Fortunately, Xiao Heng hates her too.

The two of them spend their days glaring at and squabbling with each other, yet for appearances' sake, they have no choice but to put on a show of harmony in front of their elders.

Luckily, ever since childhood, a young gentleman has often sent Li Zhao little notes under the guise of being her pen pal. His words always comfort and reassure her, bringing her some happiness.

After observing him from every angle, Li Zhao is certain her pen pal is Wen Changjin, the academy student with a congenital weakness but a gift for writing. As it happens, her mother is looking for a suitable match for her, and the thought leaves her in a foul mood. So she writes a note and has it sent back the way it came, arranging to meet him at the lakeside gallery in three days.

Nervously, Li Zhao pushes open the door and sees a young man in red leaning one hand on the windowsill.

The young man turns to look at her. His sharp brows and bright eyes make him infuriatingly familiar.

It's Xiao Heng!!!

Li Zhao is struck by the absurdity of it all, overcome by the helpless feeling of having been toyed with. Just as she's about to lose her temper, Xiao Heng across from her raises an eyebrow and says in surprise,

"Li Zhaozhao, why is it you?"

It was all a misunderstanding.

But Li Zhao doesn't want to speak to Xiao Heng anymore. She turns to leave, only for an accident in the third month to leave them both afflicted with a love curse that requires them to be intimate from time to time.

From then on, they keep bickering in public, but are inseparable in private.

Reader's guide:

1. The bitter enemies become friends with benefits before becoming spouses. Their relationship goes through a secret identity reveal, then an aphrodisiac mishap. After that, the heroine discovers the hero likes her, and they eventually marry.

2. A prickly young lady who wants to be first at everything x a spirited, pretentious rival. The hero has secretly loved her since childhood, but he's especially good at putting on an act and has a wickedly sharp tongue.

3. The story is set more than a decade after the empress ascended the throne. Women can attend school and serve at court, and gender segregation is not very strict.

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