Serving at His Bedside

A messy, melodramatic stew of a possessive romance and a groveling redemption arc, featuring a [Gentle, Unhinged Heir Apparent] and a [Sweet, Delicate Bedchamber Maid]!

Outsiders all say that the heir apparent, Cui Yan, treats his bedchamber maid like a precious jewel.

But after three years by Cui Yan's side, Yun Lan knows she's no different from the cat-and-butterfly warming stone on his desk, a plaything the young master takes up when he's bored.

She has to slowly mold herself into the kind of woman he likes before she can even count as a satisfying toy.

Yun Lan knows her place is low. Even when she learns that he is going to marry, all she wants is to rely on the little affection he has for her and live quietly in some corner.

Until one day, he speaks solemnly to the beloved, pampered princess commandery: "If I'm to marry, then of course I'll do as you wish and clear everything away."

Yun Lan rubs her bruised, purpled knees and stops lying to herself.

She quietly returns to her room and starts counting her money.

Spend her whole life trapped behind these high walls, walking on eggshells?

Forget it.

Youth fades quickly. She'd better make plans while she can.

-

Cui Yan doesn't like losing control.

In public, he's the refined heir to a duke's estate, a brilliant young top scholar.

In private, his tastes are strange: her smile is sweet, but her tear-filled almond eyes excite him more.

Cui Yan doesn't think he's fallen for her.

He just likes her soft, obedient nature, how compliant she is beneath the bed curtains, and the soft "A Yan" she breathes when passion overwhelms her.

Her heart and eyes are full of him, and she's careful to observe the rules.

She'd make a suitable concubine.

Just as he expected, when she learns he's going to marry, she is uneasy but obediently agrees.

Cui Yan thinks that even if her status is low, he can make arrangements for her later.

But there is no later.

When he returns from an assignment, his beloved is gone, and only a desolate courtyard awaits him.

When he sees her again, she's smiling radiantly, holding someone else's hand and calling him Brother A Yan.

Only then does Cui Yan realize that his plans were not only a castle in the air, but wishful thinking.

How dare she use him as a substitute?

-

When Cui Yan arrives, she's embroidering a wedding dress by the dim candlelight.

In the swirling snow, the elegant young man stands in the doorway, his brocade robe stained with blood and his expression indifferent. Moonlight stretches his shadow long across the ground.

Watching the girl's face turn suddenly pale, Cui Yan smiles gently, his voice cold. "So the A Yan you called for was never me?"

Back then, Cui Yan never imagined that one day he would carve out the mole at the corner of his eye with his own hands, letting blood run freely as if he didn't feel it, all to ask one question.

"Yun'er, do I look even a little like him now?"

Note: The heroine's real name is Sui Yunmu. This will be explained in the story.

Content warnings:

1. Melodramatic, old-school, groveling redemption arc with a happy ending; includes a forced marriage and coercive pursuit. Read with caution if this bothers you.

2. Both leads are sexually inexperienced.

3. The characters' values do not represent the author's. Don't read if you dislike that.

Upcoming story break

For pure melodrama lovers, please click to follow my upcoming story, The Wife Swap!

[Fragile but Resilient Young Wife] X [Gentle, Cunning Powerful Official]

Wen Xianyi thinks the eldest young master of the Sheng family is truly a good man.

He is handsome and refined, the youngest successful candidate in Huizhou, and, most importantly, kindhearted. He not only bears no grudge, but also gives her husband's family plenty of support.

Thanks to Young Master Sheng, her wrongfully convicted husband was given an official post as soon as he was released from prison.

After much thought, Wen Xianyi brings a basket of freshly steamed mint cakes and knocks on the Sheng residence's gate in the misty rain.

Her knees ache from striking the blue bricks, but her gratitude is sincere. "Your kindness is beyond anything I can repay. In my next life, I will repay you by serving you with all my heart, "

"Why wait until the next life, Lady Yi? You can repay me in this one."

When she looks up in surprise, he is lowering his eyes to sip his tea, gently skimming away the leaves.

His handsome face is refined and courteous, but his words send a chill through her bones. "He exchanged you for this official post."

After the sound of shattered porcelain fades, the room remains quiet for a long while. Then soft sobs break the silence.

-

Having risen and fallen in the political world since his youth, Sheng Huaiyu has never bothered with romance.

But on the day he returned home to mourn his parents, he caught sight of a vivid splash of color amid the gray bricks and dark tiles.

He wanted her, and with only a few small tricks, she was obediently delivered into his hands.

Too bad she wasn't obedient.

On the upper floor of a pleasure boat, the phoenix flutes rang out. Sheng Huaiyu grips her waist and presses her down hard, then bites her soft earlobe, anger held in check. "Tell me, Lady Yi, how have I treated you so badly that you could bear to take another lover?"

Wen Xianyi rests her chin lightly on his shoulder, damp with a sheen of sweat. Her delicate features are indifferent, and she merely closes her eyes, refusing to answer.

Her life may be cheap, but she still wants to make one choice for herself.

Blurb written on January 16, 2025

Content warnings:

1. The heroine is not sexually inexperienced, while the hero is. Read with caution if this bothers you.

2. Coercive pursuit, overwhelming melodrama, and no concern for conventional morality. Please don't moralize or make personal attacks. Read with caution if this bothers you.

Theme: Be self-reliant and strong