No Wind, No Moonlight on the Painted Boat

Along the banks of the Suzhou River, pleasure boats bobbed on the water, with delicious food and drink and boat girls who were second to none. The ugly cook, Ce Han, worked briskly and soon brought out another tableful of delicacies. A diner glanced at the scars on half her face and teased, “Ce, shouldn’t you be getting married? Marry me and I’ll take good care of you. I’ll only make you serve me after the lamps are out.” “Keep dreaming!” Ce Han touched the scar on her face and shot him a saucy smile. Among the diners was the dignified-looking Gu Kui. When he had once been down and out, her mother had saved him. Now he had passed the palace examination in third place, become an imperial censor and special commissioner, and married the granddaughter of the chief minister. He was powerful and influential, and watched her make a fool of herself with cold eyes. Later, as Gu Kui ate the fish noodles she had made, he suddenly said, “I don’t mind that you’re ugly. Come with me.” “Someone like me could never aspire to that!” Ce Han rejected him outright. He was a beast in fine clothes, currying favor with the powerful and harming the innocent. She would rather die than become his concubine and let him control her. “You won’t escape my grasp,” he said. “I owe you a debt of gratitude, and you can’t refuse to let me repay it.” His fingers brushed the scar on her face, and a faint sigh rose from his chest. “Besides,” he continued slowly, “I’m the only one who can avenge you!” Bearing a deep grudge but keeping it hidden, Gu Kui entered officialdom with a single goal. He knew how to manipulate people and never made a misstep as he advanced his plans. Ce Han was kind, but she had a backbone. Even after she tried to escape several times and was caught again, held captive in his bedroom, she still pointed a pair of scissors at his chest. “Do you think I won’t kill us both if you push me any further?” Gu Kui’s gaze darkened. “Don’t you want to hear my story? To know why I married my enemy’s daughter?” “You could face a thousand hardships, and I still won’t be your pawn.” “Then... be my wife.” He had more secrets to reveal than scars on his back. He wanted her to fight by his side, united against their common enemy. At first, Gu Kui had only intended to make her one part of his revenge scheme. Little did he know that he would end up ensnaring himself, falling into ruin for her and accepting it willingly. Notes: ▲ The male lead, Gu Kui, is ruthless and unscrupulous, willing to do anything for revenge. The last thread of goodness in him is tied to the female lead. ▲ The male lead has a wife, but he will force her to have sex with him. The plot remains logically consistent. ▲ The female lead’s ugliness is a disguise for her protection in the pleasure quarters. She won’t remain ugly forever. ▲ Set in a fictional world modeled on the Ming dynasty. The story and its characters are entirely fictional. Upcoming Novel A Trip to Ming China to Raise a Novelist Zhou Wen, a small-time video-platform influencer, says: I just like reading novels. How did I end up transmigrating? Fine, I transmigrated, but why don’t I have any golden finger? If I can’t have a golden finger, at least let me fall in love with a handsome guy. I turned my head and saw the scruffy guy in a long gown beside me. His beard was unkempt, his clothes were patched and patched again, and he was hunched over. Why was he such a mess? Fine, he’s a mess, but can he stop following me around like a shadow? We both have to survive in this world. Zhou Wen asked, “What’s your name?” The scruffy guy in the long gown replied, “Li Shen, courtesy name Xianchou.” “What can you do?” “Write novels.” But he couldn’t take the imperial exams, and writing novels alone couldn’t support a grown man in this era, let alone two people. Zhou Wen gritted her teeth and swallowed her pride to become an influencer again, joining forces with this utterly useless scholar to get by together (and depend on each other). Years later, Zhou Wen was draped in gold and silver, lounging in a pavilion in an exquisite garden and eating cherries. Li Shen crept past furtively. “Where are you going?” Li Shen stood at attention: “Our new book has sold another hundred thousand copies, but someone’s been selling pirated copies.” “Our theater tickets sold out again. There are people hanging outside the windows right now, even the second-floor windows.” “Our grand restaurant has another long line. The prefect wants to know if he can cut in and eat first.” “And...” He hesitantly took out a brocade box. “Can we finally start discussing our wedding?” Inside the box was a glittering red gemstone ring. Upcoming Novel Seeking the Way After a breakup, Qian Mimi wanted to take an unusual transmigration trip, but she never expected the discounted deal to be such a rip-off! Such a rip-off! There were no “digital armies” on this transmigration trip! No devoted emperors! No dashing, wicked princes, young masters, dukes, or marquises! And the bracelet that provided a holographic link to the real world and a magic door had run out of power! Oh... an era without charging ports... She wiped away her tears. She wanted to go home. She would seek her way, overcoming every obstacle. Theme: Hatred turns us into demons, while love makes us human