After Pretending to Date My Mortal Enemy for Real

A naive, lovesick young lady who grows into her own x a tsundere young master who overthinks everything

1.

After school let out for the holidays, Lu Zhiyuan thought she would never see her archenemy, Xie Yao, again.

Then her parents unexpectedly told her that she had actually been engaged for years.

Father: "The other family is powerful and prestigious."

Mother: "Your betrothed is gentle and considerate."

Lu Zhiyuan (nodding): Got it. He's a spoiled, debauched young nobleman who does nothing all day.

So she took all the silver she could carry and ran away in the middle of the night.

Xie Yao was a born prodigy, always arrogant and unruly. Then he was suddenly told that he, too, had been engaged for years.

Father: "The other family has an illustrious lineage."

Mother: "Your betrothed is refined and virtuous."

Xie Yao (nodding): Got it. She's a clumsy, delicate, and willful young noblewoman.

So he rode to Qingzhou that very night, accepted a friend's request, and infiltrated a bandit stronghold to become its third-in-command, planning to coordinate with the authorities from the inside.

His men had already confirmed that the carriages passing by were being used for human trafficking.

But when he lifted a carriage curtain, he found a frightened young woman inside.

Her eyes were brimming with tears, lively as a deer's.

He took another look.

Wait, why is it her?!

Later, when Xie Yao thought back on it, he couldn't even remember whether he'd lifted a carriage curtain or the red bridal veil of a bride.

He never imagined that the "pretend marriage" they'd stumbled into at the bandit stronghold would turn real.

2.

Xie Yao has been terribly annoyed lately.

The young lady with whom he unexpectedly shared an intimate encounter thinks it was just a fleeting affair and refuses to take responsibility.

But somehow, their reckless little arrangement happened a second time, without either of them saying a word.

So Lu Zhiyuan laid out three conditions:

One: We can kiss at most once every three days.

Two: No kissing my neck.

Three: In public, we still act as if we barely know each other.

Xie Yao stared at her pale fingertips, lost in thought, and didn't hear a word of what the young lady said.

#One-on-one, both leads have no previous partners

#The heroine loses her head over good looks, then loses it again

#Slow burn, slow burn, for those who like a little romantic tension

Coming soon: The Year Before My Father Ascended the Throne

#Bad news: It seems my whole family is a bunch of airheads

#Good news: They're all sweet on the outside but cunning underneath. I'm the only genuinely sweet one

Qing Laiyi had been the apple of her father's eye since she was little.

Whenever the court historians worked on the history books, her father would hold her as he supervised them, reminiscing about the hard times of the past.

By chance, she transmigrated back to the year before her father ascended the throne.

And then...

The books said her father was a master of both civil and military arts. So who was this man with an apple on his head, shaking like a leaf?

The books said her mother was gentle and composed. So who was this aloof woman who fired three arrows at once to rescue a hero?

The books said her aunt was dignified and elegant. So who was this woman charging at her second uncle with a knife?

The books... No, Father!

Qing Laiyi's jaw nearly hit the floor. How exactly did you get this throne?!

Was this really the heart-pounding scene where you fell in love with Mother at first sight?

Qing Laiyi's attempt to find her family proved a little difficult.

But by chance, she saved someone who claimed to be a young eunuch serving at court, named Chang Ji. To repay her for saving his life, Chang Ji decided to be her eyes and ears in the palace.

But when the moment finally came for Qing Laiyi to reunite with her birth father, she was overjoyed and was about to step forward when someone suddenly grabbed her wrist and yanked her back.

A large hand covered her mouth, leaving her unable to make a sound. Chang Ji pressed close behind her and held her firmly in his arms, his expression unchanged.

His wide robes concealed what he was doing beneath them. One finger at a time, he pried open Qing Laiyi's clenched fist and forcibly slipped his cold fingers between hers, as if they were holding hands.

Everyone knew that Cui Huai, the Grand Seal Holder of Great Zhao, was a treacherous and cunning manipulator who toyed with power, yet had the emperor's favor above all others.

The decrepit emperor had sired a bunch of fools who squabbled over the throne day after day. It bored him to death.

Cui Huai. Cui Changji.

That name was practically taboo in Great Zhao. Qing Laiyi had only heard the matrons mention it a few times. Then, when she ran into a tricky problem, Chang Ji dropped a hint that she could ask Grand Seal Holder Cui for help.

The gates of Cui Huai's residence opened to her. Qing Laiyi stood frozen, recognizing that familiar face and finding it all the more strange.

Sunlight split the world into light and shadow. His tall, slender figure stood in the darkness, beckoning her with a slight curl of his finger. His voice seemed to beguile the heart: "Come here, my dear Ayi."

How could there be a woman like her in this world, like the moon on the sea, a star in the heavens, while he was mud rotting beneath the earth?

And yet the filthy blood in his veins seemed to be clamoring, yearning to draw close to her, possess her, and taste the pleasure she felt.

Fortunately, he had always been a despicable man.

#The male lead is a real eunuch, a little unhinged, happy ending

#Her father transmigrates from the modern era. The story is all about a father riding his daughter's coattails to glory

#Family and romance are equally important, with everyone doting on the heroine

Theme: Build a career before starting a family