The Rocking Bed Collapsed

Ning Xuanxue, daughter of the empress of the Yuan Dynasty, had spent the first sixteen years of her life fretting over how to enter the legendary underground demon kingdom and, like the wild histories described, take the demon prince's first night.

The demon prince, Gu Jue, didn't have the full-moon rage problem found in storybooks, but he did have a habit of recognizing his master after losing his first night.

The moment Ning Xuanxue first read that wild history, every inch of her body cried out: she wanted the demon prince to be her dog.

He would go wherever she pointed and sniff whatever she indicated. He must never defy her. Even if she kicked him, all he could do was whine softly with reddened eyes and say, "That hurt."

*

Gu Jue had spent so long in the damp darkness that he had grown irritable and quick-tempered. One day, after a long while, another fearless human slipped into the underground realm.

To relieve his boredom, Gu Jue treated the human woman, who claimed to be a lady-in-waiting, like a howling iron. He fed her, kissed and teased her, and made her climb into his bed.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, beneath the full moon, after a night of passion, Ning Xuanxue dropped her disguise and looked down at Gu the Dog. "Go peel a grape for me, Princess."

Gu Jue frowned and kicked her off the bed, then said elegantly, "Seems I've been too gentle and spoiled you."

Ning Xuanxue cursed, "That wild history ruined me!" Then she fled without a trace.

All she left behind was Gu Jue, who had already fallen for her, heartbroken and howling in grief as he murmured to himself:

"I won't let you get away with this."

"When we meet again, our nations will be at war, and one of us will die."

After all, humans and demons were destined to walk different paths.

Note: The heroine falls in love late. The ending is undecided.

My next book is already underway. If you're interested, feel free to check it out. Thank you.

Xue Fushang, the daughter of a merchant, had a lover who seduced her into losing her chastity before marriage. Not long afterward, he ran off and vanished without a trace.

Under a barrage of rumors and reproach, she married into the He household, becoming the new bride of He Zhoulu, the man who managed the household.

On their wedding night, he called her shameless. His parents ignored her when she served them tea. The other branches of the He family made things difficult for her during the ceremonial bows. Entering the ancestral hall was out of the question...

As the days went by, she thought this was simply how her life would be. But one day, the lover who had run away came back.

He sent word that he wanted to see her. Xue Fu thought it over. She couldn't let it go, so she sneaked out of the household to meet her former lover.

Before anything could happen between them, He Zhoulu caught them in the act.

She was terrified, thinking she was going to die. She spent the whole journey in despair, trying every trick she could think of to win her nominal husband's favor: begging, crying, expressing regret, using her charms, and flattering him. At last, she got He Zhoulu to forgive her.

After they returned home, He Zhoulu tossed her onto the bed without a shred of tenderness. The candles burned all night. At her most miserable, Xue Fu couldn't hold back and cursed him: "You're shameless, you bastard."

"The price of this forgiveness is far too high. I don't want it anymore."

He Zhoulu merely said coldly, "Shut up," and continued to punish her.

He Zhoulu, eldest son of the He household and an important official close to the emperor, was known in public for his clear-mindedness and refined manners.

He had never had anything to do with Xue Fu of the Xue household. Their engagement had only been a joke made by their great-grandfathers when they were alive, so it should have been easy to call it off.

But during a hunting trip, Xue Fu's father recognized him and wouldn't leave him alone, setting off a lifetime of trouble.

He Zhoulu had people cancel the engagement, but the Xue family only grew more aggressive. They spread rumors and pressured the He household, even bribing an imperial eunuch to subtly let the emperor know that the He and Xue families had once been engaged.

The emperor asked about it. His father was bound by his promise, and his mother didn't want people talking. With no other choice, He Zhoulu married Xue Fu, quietly taking all the malice directed at her upon himself.

Only when they consummated their marriage did he understand that she had her own grievances, from her expression to her condition and everything about her...

In the places Xue Fu couldn't see, a strange light flickered in He Zhoulu's eyes, feverish and excited.

"Forget it. Why hold it against her..."

"As long as she behaves and stops going out to see that lover, I can forgive her for anything."

Xue Fu: ...

"This concubine still has a score to settle with the second male lead. I have no choice but to see him."

Male lead: ...

Theme: No matter what, keep loving yourself.