Palace maid x crown prince
Zixi was a young palace maid who served in the Eastern Palace, preparing ink and brush. Reserved and quiet, she nevertheless had a face of breathtaking beauty.
All she wanted was to save enough money to put her younger brother through school.
While serving the crown prince one day, she accidentally touched his long, slender hand.
She hurried to her knees to beg forgiveness.
But the aloof man high above her merely said, "Are you short of money? I'll give you a hundred taels of gold."
From then on, the Eastern Palace had a favored concubine, though no one knew it.
Before long, Zixi became pregnant.
The Eastern Palace had no children.
If the empress found out that a lowly maid was carrying the crown prince's child, she would likely have her executed.
Then a great fire broke out, and Zixi used the chaos to escape.
_
Shen Yan was born of the imperial house, with a cold and solitary temperament.
The Eastern Palace was full of beautiful women, yet none could stir his interest.
Only the young maid who ground ink at his desk, always quiet and proper with her head bowed, never currying favor or showing off, caught his attention.
One day, he saw her weeping, her eyes red, as she asked someone to send away the few belongings she owned.
He decided to tease her.
To his surprise, the maid agreed at once.
Shen Yan smiled. Fine, then. If you take someone's money, you have to pay a price.
Even at night, she was just as quiet.
She gritted her teeth and didn't make a sound.
She let him do as he pleased.
The little maid was very discreet.
For more than half a year, no one noticed anything amiss between them.
Shen Yan was satisfied.
But then a great fire broke out, and the maid vanished without a trace.
Three years later, Shen Yan saw that familiar figure outside Yujing Palace.
He had someone follow her and discovered she had entered the home of a newly appointed official.
That night, Shen Yan pinned her against a wall.
In a cold voice, he demanded, "You became mine. How dare you attach yourself to another man?"
Zixi pressed her trembling fingertips together and met his gaze. "Your Highness has three thousand beauties at your beck and call. Someone as insignificant as me is beneath your notice. Please let me live."
[Important warning: Neither lead is perfect. The male lead is a complete scumbag who starts out wanting only to play around, with the mindset of a man in power who just wants a fling. He doesn't want to take responsibility at first, and it's physical, not emotional. Later, he falls deeply in love.]
Reader's Guide:
1. One-on-one romance, both leads' first time, happy ending
2. Set in a fictional world.
Theme: Face things bravely and stop running away
