Drunk on Love, Asleep in the Boughs

Xian Xi had a difficult childhood, and the damage it did to her left her slower to react than other people and somewhat wooden in temperament.

But she had kept one person in her heart for ten years: her senior martial brother, Xuan Zhuo.

She could never forget the day her master brought her to Qingyi Sect. Xuan Zhuo's golden eyes shone like the morning sun as he smiled at her. "Master, is this our new junior sister? She's so thin and frail. Poor thing."

Her master told her that he was Qingyi Sect's senior-most disciple, and that he would be her senior martial brother from then on.

Xian Xi remembered.

There was once a rumor that Xuan Zhuo took special care of Xian Xi because he might have feelings for her.

Just as Xian Xi was almost beginning to believe it herself, she heard Xuan Zhuo laughing at the people spreading the rumor, saying he only saw her as a little sister and they shouldn't read too much into it.

She understood, so she reined in her love and hid it in her heart. She watched from afar without daring to hope.

When turmoil broke out among the demon clans, news came from the outside world that Xuan Zhuo, the dragon prince, was to marry the daughter of the leader of the nine-tailed fox clan.

Xian Xi finally gave up hope. Then, while traveling outside the sect, she was badly injured and met another considerate man. He took meticulous care of her and asked her to marry him.

Xian Xi accepted.

But on the day of the wedding, dark clouds filled the vast sky and thunder rumbled. Xuan Zhuo, sword in hand, led the dragon clan's elite guards into the wedding hall.

"It's only been a few days since we last met, junior sister, and your taste in men has already gotten so much worse."

Xuan Zhuo smiled, but the sword pointed at the groom was ice-cold.

Xian Xi was stunned, her reactions even slower than usual. By the time she came to her senses, Xuan Zhuo had already abducted her in front of everyone.

In the dragon palace's bedchamber, beneath blue silk curtains, two hazy silhouettes lay half-hidden.

Xian Xi curled into a ball as the heat of the body pressing closer to her scorched her, turning her face as red as peach blossoms.

She tried to get away, but a dragon tail was wrapped around her, and she could not break free. Xuan Zhuo nipped her earlobe, his voice hoarse. "Little Xi, you've grown up. If you want to get married, why not consider me, your senior martial brother?"

Xian Xi: ?

This was not quite how things were supposed to go.

Reader's Guide:

Black Dragon Senior Martial Brother x a Truly Wooden Beauty, His Slow-to-React Divine Tree Junior Sister. Both are each other's first. Updates every evening at six.

Warnings:

An old-school, melodramatic romance. The first chapter sets the tone for just how melodramatic it gets, so if you can't handle that, feel free to stop here.

The male lead is sexually inexperienced, but he's a terrible person.

Coming soon in my author collection: I Only Want to Sell Sweet Soup

After months of working around the clock, Xiang Tang died from overwork and transmigrated to ancient times.

Unlike the novels she'd read, she hadn't become a wicked concubine-born daughter or a genius legitimate daughter. She'd become a...

country girl.

A young country girl, only sixteen, whose parents had both died.

Her parents had left her a little savings and a sweet soup shop.

Xiang Tang thought... this was absolutely wonderful!

As the only sweet soup shop in the village, business was naturally booming. A few workers kept the shop running, while all she had to do each day was feed the chickens, play with the dogs, lie flat, keep the books, and bask in the sun.

But after only a few peaceful days, a man covered in blood suddenly appeared, collapsed outside her door.

He was quite handsome, and his figure... ahem, was quite something too.

Xiang Tang took him in and cared for him until he woke up.

When Sheng Yan awoke, he stared at her for a long time before asking coldly, "Why did you save me?"

Xiang Tang: ?

No, man, what?

She answered sincerely, "Buddy, if you want to die, don't do it on someone else's doorstep. I'll be held responsible, okay?"

Sheng Yan's expression changed.

After a long silence, he suddenly asked, "A cup of imperial palace jade liquor?"

Xiang Tang replied reflexively, "One hundred and eighty a cup."

Sheng Yan: "..."

Xiang Tang: "..."

After he recovered, Sheng Yan left.

Xiang Tang thought that was the end of their connection. But a few days later, he showed up at her shop in a vermilion official's robe, leading a troop of guards and standing right outside as if he owned the place.

Xiang Tang watched as he walked toward her, his expression gentle as he said:

"Come with me. I'll take you to the capital, where you can have a better life."

"Huh? But my shop..."

"Open one in the capital. I'll set you up with branches on all fourteen streets. If you think that's too much work, I'll hire people to run them for you. You just count the money."

"..."

After all sorts of unexpected twists, Xiang Tang eventually went to the capital with Sheng Yan.

She discovered that people's fates really could be worlds apart.

She fed chickens, played with dogs, and sold sweet soup in the countryside, while Sheng Yan rose through the ranks, made his fortune, and handled major affairs in the city. It did cost him a bit of his life, since people kept trying to assassinate him.

One day, Xiang Tang said with concern, "Sheng Yan, why don't you come back to the countryside and sell sweet soup with me? I'll support you."

Sheng Yan smiled. "No. My life is actually pretty good now, and before long, we won't have to live on tenterhooks anymore."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to rebel."

"...?"

"Then you'll be my empress, the most honored woman in the world."

"...?!"

She wasn't that ambitious!

Note:

A laid-back sweet girl x a scheming workaholic. Both are each other's first.

Theme: Love yourself