Crossing the Cold River by Boat

[My next novel will be Spring Comes Late: a melodramatic, heart-wrenching tale of pursuing a wife, with brothers turning against each other to steal her away, and a mad-dog male lead getting his comeuppance. Please add it to your collections!]

Novel blurb:

A sweet and spirited young princess x a ruthless yet pure-hearted brocade guard

1.

To find her father's whereabouts, Shen Miaozhou disguised herself as someone else and married Wei Lin, the cold, heartless, and notorious Commander of the Imperial Guard.

But on their wedding day, she discovered that Wei Lin's identity was suspicious and that he seemed to have some unclear connection to her enemy.

So she used every trick at her disposal, resorting to schemes and even physical force, determined to uncover Wei Lin's secret identity, learn the truth, and find her father.

The night her identity was exposed, pursuers surrounded her on all sides, and Shen Miaozhou had nowhere to go. She pressed her blade to Wei Lin's throat and threatened him. "I'll use you as a hostage. There's no way they won't let me through."

But Wei Lin grabbed the hand holding the knife and pressed the blade three inches closer to his throat. Staring at her, he gritted his teeth and asked, "If they don't let you pass, will you kill me?"

At the time, she thought Wei Lin was a madman who didn't care whether he lived or died.

She never imagined that she would get what she wanted and become the moon in that madman's heart, the one he loved.

Though he knew she had ulterior motives, he indulged her again and again, always shielding her from harm.

So later, she tried everything she could to bring that madman back to the world of the living.

2.

Spat on by everyone while alive, left exposed in the wilderness after death, his old friends gone forever, he walked alone through the wind and snow. Wei Lin believed this was the path he was destined to walk.

So even as he sank deeper and deeper, when he heard Shen Miaozhou say, "We stand on opposite sides. From now on, let's pretend we never knew each other," he only nodded and said, "All right."

Later, Wei Lin fell into one perilous situation after another. He was subjected to torture, and everyone wanted him to die in prison.

In the dark of night, he saw Shen Miaozhou cross through the snow and travel a thousand miles back just to save his life.

In the damp, dark prison cell, the girl, covered in frost and snow, rose onto her toes and gently kissed his lips. Her tender kiss was full of compassion, like a warm spring lake that nearly drowned him.

She said, "Wei Lin, I'm here. Don't be afraid."

[Reading Notes]

1. They test each other while hiding their identities, and their relationship is full of love and conflict early on. Later, they are devoted to each other. The male lead suffers a lot of physical abuse and injuries along the way. At its heart, this is a redemption story about a wild wolf becoming a house dog.

2. An imaginary setting with many original elements, including a touch of wuxia, such as disguises and assassins.

3. This is my first novel, so there are plenty of shortcomings. I'm terrible at writing blurbs, but open to writing advice. Please bear with me.

[Coming soon: What Not to Do Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation for Your Client]

[Young, deaf, wild-dog type male lead x older, frail producer]

Ji Weiyi was a famous producer, the film industry's god of wealth.

A promising young talent, the son of a wealthy family, and the beloved youngest child.

But he was born with a hole in his heart. After thirty years of patching it up, he was still at risk of dying young.

A fortune-teller said that thirty-two would be a difficult year for him, and only meeting a benefactor destined to help him could avert disaster.

When Ji Weiyi was thirty-two, he returned to his hometown for a funeral and saw Zhang Yuan fishing in the river.

He called out, but Zhang Yuan couldn't hear him. Half of a hearing aid hung around his neck.

He turned around abruptly, his pupils black as ink, like a wild dog.

Ji Weiyi fell for him at first sight. The art film he was funding just happened to need a deaf male lead.

Ji Weiyi brought Zhang Yuan back to the capital and moved him into his home.

A thoughtful, sturdy guardian had fallen from the sky. When Ji Weiyi had a headache, Zhang Yuan massaged him. When Ji Weiyi had a stomachache, Zhang Yuan kept him warm. When Ji Weiyi couldn't sleep, Zhang Yuan stayed by his bedside.

When Ji Weiyi's heart condition flared up...

Ji Weiyi said, "Just call an ambulance. You don't need to give me mouth-to-mouth."

Ji Weiyi always treated Zhang Yuan like a child. Children were easy to fool and often got duped.

After he came back from an awards banquet one time, he told him,

"They said producers and actors who live together are doing it to exploit the actors."

"If you need me, I'll do anything."

Ji Weiyi laughed in exasperation. "What kind of nonsense are you thinking up at your age?"

Until one day, a drop of sweat from Zhang Yuan's nose fell onto his face.

He called Zhang Yuan's name, his voice broken and out of tune.

And in his daze, he couldn't help thinking:

Raising a child comes with risks. Invest with caution.

If he'd known this day would come, he should have taken advantage of him first!

Theme: You can't change what's already happened, but you can still pursue what lies ahead