After Curing the Prince's Insomnia

Important announcement!!! My next novel, Reconcile and Remarry My Brother-in-Law, is now open for preorders. The blurb is at the end. If you happen to pass by, please add it to your favorites~

At first, Xu Yingying was terrified of Feng Qi.

The Third Prince acted incompetent and foolish at court, but behind the scenes his methods were ruthless. Everyone in the household knew him as the Grim Reaper who brought death to their doors.

The first time she saw him, Xu Yingying watched him take a servant's life without so much as changing his expression.

But the saying that love grows with time was no lie. After serving as a prince's concubine for long enough, Xu Yingying began to feel that Feng Qi wasn't quite as frightening as people made him out to be.

So when Feng Qi promised to make her his principal wife and give her a peaceful, secure life, she truly believed him.

But on a snowy night, Xu Yingying carefully carried her newly pregnant belly to the study, ready to tell Feng Qi that the long-awaited child was on the way. Then she heard a cold male voice say:

"The princess consort will soon enter the household. Even if Lady Xu is pregnant, the child cannot be allowed to live. We must consider the princess consort's feelings."

Xu Yingying's hand, resting on her belly, slowly stiffened.

If she could, she would look through the window paper and see Feng Qi's expression. Was he truly a heartless monster, unworthy of even the smallest bit of sincerity?

*

The day Xu Yingying left Shengjing, the sky was cloudless as far as the eye could see.

The small boat bound for Pingjiang Prefecture drifted farther and farther away. Sitting in his study, Feng Qi listened to the servant's report and fell silent for a long time.

The candle at the corner of the desk went out and was lit again. Feng Qi stared blankly at the dried wax for a long while before finally realizing that from now on, no one would lie beside him as he fell asleep or light a lamp for him.

The bright moon shone, but the one he longed to see was far away.

*

The years in Pingjiang Prefecture belonged to long embankments and green willows.

Orioles came and went. Before she knew it, three springs had passed.

Xu Yingying had adapted completely to life in Pingjiang Prefecture. Her business was thriving, and she was raising a lively, adorable child. Every day, her life felt complete.

The bustling city of Shengjing seemed as distant as a past life.

Until rumors spread through the neighborhood that the current emperor, who had ascended the throne only three months earlier, was about to tour the south. Only then did Xu Yingying learn, in shock, that...

Feng Qi had become emperor.

After tossing and turning for several days, she finally ventured out one day, telling herself that the south was so vast she was unlikely to run into him by sheer bad luck.

Then, at the next corner in the marketplace, she spotted Feng Qi dressed plainly in disguise.

Xu Yingying: "..."

Would it still be in time if she turned around and left right now?

*1v1, both leads have no previous romantic or sexual partners, happy ending, she runs away while pregnant, followed by a groveling arc.

*The heroine is stunningly beautiful. As soon as she stops being blinded by love, she runs. The hero has his reasons, but his mindset is still problematic and needs to change.

*Updates follow the rankings before the paid chapters begin, then update daily. I'll post a notice if I need a break~

*Completely fictional setting.

Lu Yuchi married into a marquis's household, but her husband died on their wedding day, leaving her a widow before they could consummate the marriage.

Her days were unchanging and lifeless.

Until Marquis Wei returned victorious from the frontier.

Wei Ting had guarded the northern border for ten years, and no enemy dared invade. Everyone in the capital respected and feared him.

Yet Lu Yuchi had to steal from him the military tally that could command a million soldiers.

The day Wei Ting returned, the clouds drifted and the breeze was light.

Lu Yuchi trailed at the very end of the procession. She casually looked up at the young man dismounting after reining in his horse.

Tall and dashing, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, he radiated commanding presence.

He looked exactly like the man she'd shared a night of passion with at the Flower Moon House.

-

For ten years on the frontier, Wei Ting had devoted himself to fighting enemies. He had never even held a woman's hand.

But when turmoil erupted in the capital, he secretly returned under an assumed identity. After falling into an ambush and suffering severe injuries, he hid inside the Flower Moon House.

Songs and dances filled the air, accompanied by a thousand notes of music.

Wei Ting pressed a hand to his wound and rose with a frown. He staggered toward the door, only to collide with a fragrant figure.

A beautiful young woman, cheeks flushed, rushed into the room in a panic and locked the door without a word.

That night, red candles flickered and the darkness glittered like stars.

Wei Ting was too badly injured to resist. When he awoke groggily, the room was empty, with only a scene of utter disarray left behind.

After smashing the room to pieces, Wei Ting swore he would find her.

-

Later, Lu Yuchi regained her freedom. Her paintings were worth a fortune, and suitors crowded her doorstep.

Drowsing in a rocking chair with a fan in hand, Lu Yuchi asked her maid to bring her the calling cards. But someone intercepted them halfway.

Wei Ting's face was as dark as water as he tore the cards to shreds right in front of her.

Paper scraps fluttered through the air. Lu Yuchi watched with interest. "Marquis, what do you think you're doing?"

Wei Ting replied in a low voice, "Coming to ask for your hand."

"Once my brother-in-law, always my brother-in-law."

Lu Yuchi folded her fan and pushed Wei Ting away, walking off with a shake of her head. "Brother-in-law, do have some self-respect."

Reading Notes

1. One-on-one romance, both leads have no previous romantic or sexual partners.

2. While the heroine was widowed, she and the hero had no actual relationship. She will not obtain the military tally through romance. Their relationship only develops after she is divorced.

3. This blurb was written on May 9, 2025, and has been archived.

Theme: Don't be a bird in a cage