I'm drafting this now and will be opening the novel soon. Please add it to your collection~
[A sweet, gentle Jiangnan dancer x a shrewd, controlling emperor | slow-burn, raising-her-up romance + daddy vibes | devoted 1v1]
Su Yin had followed Aunt Liu since childhood, learning her craft at a music and dance house. When she came of age, her fellow girls began performing and serving drinks one after another, but Aunt Liu wouldn't let her step beyond the back courtyard.
Before long, rumors spread through the music and dance house. Everyone guessed that Aunt Liu was her birth mother, which was why she favored her so much.
But Su Yin dimly remembered that when she was just three, her mother had tearfully entrusted her to Aunt Liu, who had taken her away from a grand and powerful household.
It wasn't until Pei Yanzhou appeared that Aunt Liu broke with her usual ways. With red-rimmed eyes, she personally brought Su Yin before him. He stopped her dance halfway through.
"Su Yin?"
Pei Yanzhou beckoned her forward and asked in a deep voice, "Do you take your mother's surname or your father's?"
Su Yin took two steps forward and murmured with her head lowered, "I don't remember."
Pei Yanzhou said nothing. He reached out and drew her in front of him, studying her carefully. After a long moment, he smiled faintly. "Then, would you be willing to come to the capital with me?"
Su Yin froze for a moment. In her confusion, she saw the hope in Aunt Liu's eyes and managed a smile as she nodded. "This humble girl is willing."
Aunt Liu not only refused the money to buy out Su Yin's contract, but gave her most of her own savings as well.
In the end, Su Yin was sent away once more.
She had assumed Pei Yanzhou was merely a nobleman from the capital. But after they arrived, he went straight into the imperial palace.
The man who had spent over a month by her side was actually the emperor, and the Empress Dowager was her aunt!
Rumors spread all over the capital: The emperor had personally brought the Empress Dowager's niece back to the capital.
Her family had fallen into ruin, and she had been sold to a dance house as a child. Fortunately, the Empress Dowager had kept her in mind, and the emperor had gone south to bring her back as a gesture of filial devotion.
The capital was full of noble young ladies. Su Yin didn't dare entertain any fantasies, and she was even afraid of the emperor. Even when her aunt told her to call Pei Yanzhou "Cousin," she still didn't dare presume on their relationship.
Fortunately, after entering the palace, she was placed in the Empress Dowager's care until she was married. Her aunt treated her very well. The young heir of the marquis's residence was handsome and refined, the general's legitimate son was brave and steady, and the new top scholar was gentle and elegant...
But her imperial cousin seemed to be getting stricter and stricter. He even sent a eunuch to accompany her whenever she left the palace.
Whenever one of the emperor's attendants stood beside Su Yin, he was unfailingly deferential. Su Yin could clearly feel the atmosphere around them grow tense, and it made her uncomfortable.
Su Yin was invited to a flower-viewing banquet. While she was chatting with the young heir of the marquis's residence, the emperor arrived in person, startling everyone.
The noble young ladies of the capital had privately mocked Su Yin's background many times.
But then they saw the emperor take her slender wrist and draw her gently into his arms. His voice was low as he said, "Jiaojiao, it's time to return to the palace."
[Reader's Guide]:
1. The emperor is not the Empress Dowager's biological son and is not related to Su Yin by blood. They are not close relatives.
2. The dynasty is fictional. The age difference is eight years. A sweet, doting slow-burn romance, both leads are virgins, 1v1, happy ending.
3. There is a harem, but it is just for show. This isn't a palace intrigue story about fighting one's way to the top. The emperor is devoted to her alone.
4. The heroine was entrusted to others to keep her alive. Her mother and Aunt Liu both had Su Yin's best interests at heart.
5. One-line summary: From a Jiangnan dancer to empress.
Blurb written on 2025.06.10 and archived.
Theme: Treat others with sincerity
