God Must Have Me

Blurb:

Zhu Hao was thought to be cursed with ill fortune and destined to bring misfortune to those around her. Though blessed with a face of unsurpassed beauty, no one dared catch her embroidered ball.

No man dared catch it, but a god was forced to catch it right in his arms.

She hurled the ball at a statue of a fallen immortal in a procession of wandering gods.

A crack appeared across the statue's face.

From that day on, Huai City was battered by violent winds and torrential rain, nearly flooded beneath the downpour.

Her wicked aunt sold Zhu Hao to an eighty-year-old man for a mere twenty taels, supposedly as his concubine, but really to have her buried alive as a sacrificial bride when he died.

On their wedding night, as Huai City was darkened by wind and rain, a handsome young man holding an umbrella stopped her bridal sedan.

"Miss Zhu, I've come to marry you."

"Nonsense. Apart from the old man who's about to be buried, what young master in Huai City would dare marry me?"

"On the twenty-second day of the third month, at a quarter past one in the afternoon, you threw your embroidered ball at my statue. A god must not deceive mortals, so I suppose I'll just have to accept my bad luck."

"If you're sick, go see a doctor..."

Before she could finish, the flowered umbrella in his hand turned to dust in an instant, yet not a drop of rain touched them.

Impatiently, he asked, "Are you marrying me or not?"

All Song Xieqing wanted was to be a carefree, idle immortal. Then a mortal girl threw her embroidered ball at his jade statue, dashing that hope once and for all. Gods must not deceive mortals, or they will be punished by Heaven. With no other choice, he had to live as husband and wife with the girl.

Their marriage was only for show, each of them looking out for their own interests.

Once her life came to an end, he could go back to being a carefree, idle immortal.

Every day, Song Xieqing watched the mortal girl pass through the halls of his residence. Whenever she saw him, she greeted him with a smile and a playful greeting. She did this every day, so it was nothing special.

Until... Song Xieqing saw her smiling at another young man, and for one brief moment, he panicked.

"Is Shi Chunsheng really that wonderful? If you ask me, he's nothing special. His family only makes a living running a bookshop. If you got together with him, would he be willing to give you extra money every month to buy rouge?"

"What about the young master of the prefect's household?"

"Well... You wouldn't have to worry about rouge money, but the young master is too much of a womanizer. He's nothing special either."

Zhu Hao glanced meaningfully at him and teased, "And what about you, dear husband?"

Afraid she'd see just how base his thoughts were, Song Xieqing quickly looked away and asked, "What do you think?"

Reading Guide:

A note: I only write the style I like. My writing style isn't for everyone, and I tend to use ornate, complicated language... If you aren't enjoying it after a few pages, cut your losses and move on~*^_^*

1. This is a fictional setting, very fictional. The dynasty, place names, and even official titles may all be made up. Everything is in service of the plot, so please don't overanalyze it~

2. The leads are each other's first and only partners, and the ending is a big, happy HE. I love every character!

Coming Soon: A Survival Guide to the Qin Dynasty

Xi Wei transmigrated, becoming a Qin princess whose name never made it into the history books.

After failing to persuade Fusu to seize power, Xi Wei abandoned him without hesitation and fled for her life alone.

All she wanted was to stay alive, nothing more.

Xi Wei wandered from place to place but couldn't escape imprisonment. Unwilling to share the fate of the Qin princesses in history, she gritted her teeth and took Hu Hai hostage, fighting for a sliver of hope. A kindhearted, generous, strong, and protective older brother came along on the run with her. Xi Wei abandoned him in times of danger again and again, but he never once complained.

The realm was in turmoil, heroes vied for supremacy, and the iron hooves of war eventually trampled them both.

Fusu had died once, then was reborn in the body of an obscure prince who shared his father with him.

His concessions, meant to protect the country and its people, became the fatal move that let his younger brother destroy their homeland.

He fled Xianyang with his "sister," recruited soldiers, and joined the ranks of the contending warlords, risking his life to save the crumbling Qin dynasty.

When they opened their eyes again, they had been reborn in Shang Commandery, where sand and gravel filled the air.

Xi Wei picked up her bags again and strode past Fusu. "Go ahead and kill yourself again. As for me... of the thirty-six stratagems, retreat is the best."

Fusu looked at her, his eyes unreadable, and held out a hand. "Your big brother will lead you back to reclaim the realm."

Xi Wei: The plot... isn't supposed to go... like this, is it?

Theme: Hard work shapes your life, and you shape your own destiny.