Locked Spring Love

[Coming Soon in My Author Column: The Pursuit of His Runaway Concubine, blurb at the bottom]

Blurb:

Taking by force / Both leads are each other's first

A resilient fallen noblewoman x a deranged, possessive man

Before her family was convicted, Su Yunmiao was a pampered young lady of a distinguished family, always surrounded by a dozen maids and servants whenever she went out.

As A Li's master's slave, he wasn't even qualified to get close to her.

One day, the taciturn A Li was ostracized and bullied.

A delicate voice as clear as an oriole's suddenly rang out, and with effortless ease, she rescued him from the crowd surrounding him.

A Li was allowed into the inner courtyard, where he could admire the spotless, otherworldly moonlight that was Su Yunmiao.

That was, until someone publicly exposed his meager, pathetic longing for her.

Bound hand and foot and branded with a hot iron, A Li never cried out in pain.

Hearing familiar, measured footsteps, he looked up eagerly, his face covered in blood, only to stare straight into Su Yunmiao's contemptuous, disgusted eyes.

Later, Su Yunmiao's father secretly interfered in the succession to the throne and was killed for it.

His family fell from power, and Su Yunmiao was sent to the Entertainment Bureau, where anyone could claim her.

The first distinguished guest to visit her was Pei Zheng, the adopted son of the Duke of Yu. Rumor had it he was capricious, cruel, violent, and impossible to deal with.

Nervously, Su Yunmiao opened the door. Lanterns in the corridor illuminated the visitor: handsome and dashing, his eyes alight with playful mockery.

But a brand beside his ear extended beneath his collar, its full extent unknown, adding a sinister, chilling edge to his appearance.

Notes:

1. Both leads are each other's first.

2. The plot is old-school melodrama with taking by force.

3. The male lead is a deranged, cold-blooded man, hopelessly in love, with the female lead as his only thought.

Coming Soon in My Author Column: The Prince's Runaway Concubine

Old-school melodrama / Both leads are each other's first / Taking by force / The pursuit of his runaway wife

Clear-headed beauty x rebel general

A Yun was the legitimate daughter of the city lord, born to privilege, with a face like jade.

Then the rebel army breached the city gates, burning, killing, and plundering as they went. Her mother pushed A Yun into a crowd of refugees, but in the chaos of their flight, she became separated from her younger brother.

She could have escaped alone. But with her brother's golden lock clasped in her palm, she resolutely turned back. Amid the flying fire and arrows, she watched with her own eyes as a deputy general lifted her brother and slammed him down, demanding to know who he was.

A Yun hid the golden lock among the corpses by the road, then deliberately let herself be captured and admitted who she was, successfully saving her brother.

At that moment, a sharp gaze from behind made her wince.

A tall, armored man rode up, looking down at her against the light. His voice was cold. "You're the city lord's daughter?"

Blood still warm from his blade dripped onto her face.

A Yun stared without blinking at the man who had ordered the city massacred: Xiao Ting.

Seeing the hatred in her eyes, Xiao Ting suddenly laughed. He leaned down, lifted her onto the side of his horse, and galloped around the grounds, shouting, "The old fool Qin En knew he couldn't win and killed himself! Tonight, at the victory banquet, we'll offer his daughter to everyone as a reward!"

A Yun slowly shook her head at her little brother, who was struggling nonstop.

That night, she swallowed her humiliation, blood, and tears, and climbed into Xiao Ting's bed.

Pingcheng fell. Xiao Ting, a rebel general, heard that A Yun, a prisoner of war, was the city lord's most beloved daughter. He decided to use her as a reward for his troops, then offer her as a sacrifice before they marched on the next city.

He thought that, as the city lord's daughter, A Yun would meet death with pride and dignity. He never expected her to climb into his bed of her own accord, putting on every last bit of seductive charm.

After that night, Xiao Ting took her into his tent and made her his plaything whenever he had time to spare.

He mocked A Yun as shameless, laughing that a noble young lady like her was just like a camp prostitute, letting anyone use her for pleasure.

After the previous dynasty fell, the rewards for military service were handed out. Xiao Ting became Prince Xuan, the ruler of his own domain, but A Yun's status remained unchanged. She was still the most despised person in the manor, someone anyone could bully.

Xiao Ting was to marry a princess consort soon. Before the wedding, he stroked A Yun's moist, red lips and sneered, "You're so eager to serve me in bed. Once the princess consort moves in, I might even reward you with the position of concubine."

A Yun bowed deeply to him, full of gratitude.

But the next day, A Yun vanished, along with a nameless servant boy from the manor.

Only then did Xiao Ting learn that A Yun had offered herself to him not because she coveted his wealth and power, but to protect the younger brother who had survived the war.

That woman, who had always been so compliant, had dared to betray him.

Still dressed in his bright red wedding robes, Xiao Ting stormed out of the manor and galloped off. Blinded by rage, eyes bloodshot, he searched for her frantically along the way.

He would catch A Yun with his own hands, that woman who had dared to deceive and toy with him.

Every torture device in the room was ready. Once he caught A Yun, he would make her reveal every last secret.

But he never knew that in the end,

The tender softness that once wrapped around his finger would become a blade of steel, cutting him to the heart.

Holding her cold, indifferent face in his hands, he prayed with all his devotion:

He didn't want the realm. He wanted A Yun.

Theme: Face setbacks with a positive attitude and win a bright future.