The Widow

[The completed historical romance in the same series, Feng Yan!]

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This Novel

[Gentle, resilient beauty × ruthless young new emperor]

#GentlewomanTamesMadDog #FemaleLeadNotChasteMaleLeadIs #OlderWomanAndYoungerMan #CoercivePossession #

(Please read the guide at the very bottom before starting. Important things are repeated three times.)

(Read the tags and guide carefully. Don't force yourself to read something you won't enjoy.)

(This is not a sweet romance. It has angst, is extremely melodramatic, and has some seriously dark kinks.)

1.

After her husband died, Li Lanxin became a widow. She had been sold into the family to bring her sick husband good fortune, and with her in-laws' powerful influence, she couldn't remarry. She moved into a secluded little house in an alley near the General's residence and remained widowed for many years.

In the year she was about to turn twenty-seven, the capital was thrown into turmoil. The emperor fell gravely ill, the princes fought over the throne, and the chaos of war swept across the entire capital region.

With the world in such disorder, she was just a helpless woman with little money and no power. All she could do was keep her doors firmly shut and pray day and night for the catastrophe to pass.

As time went by, the clamor of soldiers passing outside her door gradually quieted.

One cold night, she found a young man clad in armor and covered in blood beneath a corner of her courtyard wall.

Li Lanxin hesitated for a moment, but her heart softened, and she saved him.

He said his name was Lin Jing, and that he was a guard in the Prince of Jin's residence.

He said the rebellion had been put down, and the Prince of Jin was now the clear favorite. As a member of the prince's household, he would have a bright future.

He also said that he had to repay her for saving his life. He was an orphan, and by saving him, she had become his family.

From then on, another figure began appearing in her little courtyard.

The man was young, handsome, and tall, with strength to spare. He often came by in secret to do chores for her and bring her money. When Li Lanxin refused to accept it, he tried bringing all kinds of fine things instead.

Watching him smile faintly while showing his earnestness through his actions, Li Lanxin gradually grew accustomed to him.

Once life improved, she set aside part of her money and secretly saved it, thinking she would one day offer it as part of the betrothal gifts for this young man, who was like a younger brother to her.

Until one damp, sweltering night, when he forced his way beneath her bed curtains.

-

2.

The first time he saw that woman was in the mild warmth of early summer, when the old emperor suddenly felt like visiting the imperial retreat outside the capital and the great clans gathered there.

The gardens were bustling. In a quiet, distant corner, a woman sat in a pavilion. Her clothes were plain, without a single piece of gold or jade. Only a few silver hairpins adorned her cloud of dark hair. With her head bowed slightly, she plucked flowers and scattered them petal by petal into the fishpond.

Zong Lin stared at her and made his judgment in an instant: a woman from a humble family, soft and gentle as water, with a fine-boned figure and lush curves, but dressed shabbily and dull as a block of wood.

Not long afterward, she spotted him from afar. She hurriedly lowered her head, and from the moment she left the pavilion, she never once looked at his face.

She apologized and bowed to him, then quietly asked him to let her pass.

Zong Lin thought nothing of it. Yet from then on, that voice grew more and more distorted in his dreams each night, turning increasingly lingering and intimate, leaving him unable to sleep for months.

Fortunately, it did not interfere with important affairs. But with the empire about to fall into his hands, he had to rid himself of this obsession.

His underlings said that widows of such low status, especially those who had been widowed for many years, were usually strong-willed. Taking her by force would likely be difficult. It would be better to put on an act and have a bit of fun. Then, when he tired of her, he could easily walk away.

Zong Lin said nothing, his expression cold. But half a month later, Lin Jing appeared and entered the woman's home.

At first, the game was great fun. Before long, it was no longer enough.

When Li Lanxin smiled gently and told him she was saving money to help him marry a new wife, Zong Lin froze for a moment, then smiled too.

So he wasn't the most heartless one after all. She was. He had tried to warm her heart for so long, but it had never warmed to him.

#OneSidedObsessionUnrequitedLove#

#CoercionByAnyMeansNecessary#

(No writing advice, please. I don't need it. I've said this eight hundred times.)

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Reading Guide [Must Read Before Starting!]:

1. The female lead is not chaste, while the male lead is. She is five years older than him. (Highlighted.)

2. The female lead had a brief marriage. She felt no romantic love for her late husband, who died young, but did love him as family.

3. As usual, this is a devoted, monogamous romance with a 1v1 pairing and a happy ending.

4. The female lead is kind and gentle, strong but not forceful, and very grateful to those who have helped her. She lives under oppressive circumstances.

5. The male lead is ruthless, scheming, and willing to do anything. His characterization is clearly stated: a completely unhinged mad dog, devoted but prone to going berserk. He is absolutely not a good person, absolutely not a good person, absolutely not a good person. He will face a redemption arc later.

6. Please read the tags carefully. Coercion and possession are clearly tagged many times. The central theme is taking someone by force, and this is exactly the kind of forced-love kink I'm writing. If you like it, come on in. If not, click the X.

This also includes unrequited love, emotional breakdowns, melodrama, and a groveling redemption arc. The author's tastes run erotic and intense, with plenty of steamy scenes and passionate push-and-pull. If you dislike coercive possession, please don't read. There is absolutely no chance of a softened, gentle version of stealing someone's wife. No chance, no chance, no chance. If you want a sweet version of coercive possession, click the top-left corner.

If you can't accept coercive possession, please think carefully before reading.

If you're unsure what coercive possession means, use a search engine. Don't say, "I thought it meant something else." The author is not responsible for what you thought.

Let's respect one another. No need to tell me if you drop the novel. Thank you.

7. This is a fictional setting, with a hodgepodge of customs from different dynasties. There's little political scheming; this is an outlet for my kinks. The pacing is unhurried and the story unfolds gradually. Please don't give me writing advice. This isn't a commissioned story, and I'll delete such comments if I see them. The outline is set, and the characters and pacing will not be changed, to avoid ruining the story.

Synopsis completed on March 6, 2025, and saved as a screen recording.

Theme: Even heroes can fall to a beautiful woman.