After I Was Married Off as a Substitute to the Crown Prince

Her name was Yun Que. She was a lowborn girl from the countryside, yet she had occupied the title of princess for years.

When the truth was finally exposed, she was locked away in a palace shrouded in darkness.

Three years later, she met her half-sister, who had the same mother. Her sister had fled from her wedding and said she already loved someone, and would not marry the crown prince.

That was her crown prince brother, who had taught her to read and write when they were young, made lantern flowers for her with his own hands, and lifted her high above his head during the bustling Lantern Festival, doting on her without end.

She loved him, but he felt nothing for her beyond the affection of a brother. When he discovered her shameful feelings for him, he rebuked her and refused to speak to her again.

She looked much like her sister, so she took her place and married into the Eastern Palace.

*

Gu Huaiyuan was as refined as a jade tree and always kept himself in check, observing propriety. He once had an imperial sister. When the royal bloodline was compromised, he personally dealt with her, locking her in a forsaken palace shrouded in darkness, where she was forbidden to leave without his permission.

Three years later, he married a noble young woman of gentle and dignified bearing. Though they had no affection for each other, on their wedding night, as the red veil was lifted and her lovely face was revealed, his heart, never before stirred, was quietly thrown into disarray.

Afterward, they lived in harmony, a loving couple. He thought they would go on like that forever, until one day he discovered that his crown princess was the very imperial sister he had kept confined in the forsaken palace...

Before he could decide what to do with her, she fled without a trace of reluctance.

*

In the dim bedchamber, the air was thick with desire. Yun Que called him “Brother” again and again, trying to bring him back to his senses and make him let her go. His voice was low and cold as he spoke into her ear, each word clear: “You are already my wife. You still want to marry him?”

Reader's guide: Both leads have only been with each other; happy ending.

The heroine is a dramatic, bold troublemaker who loves to play with fire; the hero will have to win his wife back.

Coming soon: After Refusing to Be a Substitute (Taking Her by Force). Please add it to your collection~

Everyone says that the second daughter of the Shi family, Shi Yirong, is so beautiful she looks like a celestial being, with a beauty that could topple a kingdom. They say that seeing her once would make a person content for the rest of their life.

Sadly, the Shi family fell into ruin, and the moon in the sky became a reflection in the water.

At the largest pleasure house in the city, she danced in the falling snow, her graceful figure clad in nothing but a thin veil. Wealthy merchants and nobles filled the seats around her. Whoever offered the highest price that night would claim her first night as a courtesan.

The men grew restless, their eyes fixed on her.

Only one man, with the bearing of a pine and a gentle gaze, walked up to her. He wrapped her in his warm cloak and quietly asked, “Would you like to leave with me?”

Everyone present fell silent. No one even dared to look up again.

Xie Yanchen was the legitimate son of the head of the Xie clan, the foremost family among the aristocracy. His status was exalted, and no one could compare to him. When Shi Yi met his gaze with her clear, cool eyes, she nodded obediently.

Everyone knew that Second Young Master Xie had a beloved who was forever beyond his reach. They had grown up together and loved each other, and should have had a beautiful future. Sadly, that woman met with an accident before she could marry into the Xie family, becoming a pain in Second Young Master Xie's heart that could never be erased.

And Shi Yi happened to look a little like her.

That was her good fortune.

Shi Yi knew it, too. She served Xie Yanchen obediently, wore the clothes he liked, used the fragrances he preferred, and at night called him “A Chen” in that woman's voice, matching all his moods and indulging his every cruel whim.

Xie Yanchen liked how sensible and obedient she was, like a clingy cat. When he was in a good mood, he would even let her visit her family and treat her a little more gently.

He thought she would always be so well-behaved. After all, she was timid and meek, and never dared disobey any of his orders. Until he was unexpectedly injured and fell unconscious. When he awoke, he searched the entire city, but could not find her anywhere.

Later, Xie Yanchen thought that daring to run away was the biggest surprise Shi Yi could give him. That was until he found her and saw the man beside her, whose features were seven parts like his own. At that moment, all he wanted was to kill her.

Theme: She is Yun Que, and she was born to soar through the heavens.