Distant, Mysterious Music

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[My lovelies, my delicious sweet romance about falling in love after an arranged marriage, My Husband Keeps His Distance, is currently serialized! A voluptuous, charming wife x a self-disciplined gentleman, full of sweet, teasing daily moments. Please check out my author page and add it to your collection! The blurb is below.]

[Beautiful, resilient young woman x aloof, obsessive powerful official]

Five years ago, Ji Xiyin's parents left her without a word. Before they went, they entrusted her to the care of an aunt she had not seen in years.

Uneasy and insecure, she had no choice but to learn to rein in her nature and become cautious and meek.

By the time she was sixteen, Ji Xiyin had blossomed into a lovely, adorable girl with skin as white as snow.

Who could have guessed that her aunt's greedy husband would scheme to send her to the capital as a concubine to a powerful man?

So she used her wits to escape the fate of becoming the heir apparent's concubine. Adrift in the capital, she had to earn money and find a way to survive, and her days were full of ups and downs.

The junior constable next door helped her time and again, but she was even more taken with his good looks.

Ji Xiyin: You don't see a beauty like him every day!

Without her elders to restrain her, her naturally rebellious nature gradually came to the fore. Life is short, so why not live it as you please?

*

The noble young heir Zhou Xuan, born with the face of an immortal, served as commander of the Longying Guards for his clan, keeping watch over the officials and becoming the sharpest blade in the emperor's hand.

He had thought that in this life, only power and profit could move his heart,

but then a young woman appeared who clearly wanted nothing to do with him, yet kept provoking him...

On a starry night, with wine emboldening her, she draped herself around his neck and kissed him wantonly.

Looking at the soft, dazed girl in his arms, he put aside his dignity and patiently coaxed her, willingly lowering his head to return her ardor.

And yet, when he heard her brazenly declare that she would capture him and make him her male pet, why didn't he feel at all wronged?

*

One night, Ji Xiyin's maid suddenly told her that she had been deceived...

Before she could confront the person responsible, a great fire consumed everything she had worked so hard to build.

Zhou Xuan was composed and restrained, long accustomed to planning several moves ahead. But when the girl who had nearly lost her life because of him demanded answers, he completely lost his composure.

His obsession with love and desire held him captive. No longer caring about his position or society's conventions, he resolved to be entangled with her for the rest of his life.

[Reader's Guide]

1. This is a one-on-one romance with devoted leads. Neither the male nor female lead is perfect. This isn't a wish-fulfillment novel: the heroine stumbles her way toward growth, while the hero gradually learns to be gentle despite his aloofness.

2. The early plot develops slowly and focuses on the heroine trying to survive. The push-and-pull between the leads begins after chapter thirty, so feel free to skip ahead if you don't like a slow pace! The heroine's background is revealed later in the novel, so it isn't disclosed in the blurb.

3. The second half has a little political intrigue, with some amateurish fictional scheming. Don't overthink it.

4. The plot and romance are split about evenly. This isn't a purely romance-focused story, and there are some ensemble elements, with supporting characters developing their own romances.

5. The setting is an alternate history that blends several dynasties, mostly the Song. Please don't scrutinize the historical details too closely!

-- End of divider. The following is a blurb for a forthcoming novel --

[This is a sweet, sweet, sweet romance about falling in love after an arranged marriage!]

# In Ning Zhaojin's eyes, a lifetime with just one person would be wonderful.

# In Shi Yuheng's heart, three lifetimes together without ever parting would be even better.

*

Six years ago, Old Master Ning resigned from office and returned to his hometown with his entire family.

The second daughter, Ning Zhaojin, returned with them. Fair-skinned and beautiful, with a voluptuous figure, she became famous as a beauty throughout the surrounding villages.

But with her parents away for most of the year, she grew up spirited and mischievous. Even after turning eighteen, no one dared come to ask for her hand in marriage.

One day, the young master of the neighboring farmstead, who had admired her for a long time, said with great confidence, "My uncle is an official at court. He's coming back to his hometown today to pay respects to our ancestors. I'll bring him along to propose to you on my behalf."

The young woman scoffed.

But as the graceful, handsome man drew closer, her mind went blank, and she blurted out, "Teacher!"

*

Shi Yuheng, a humble-born third-place winner of the palace examination, had endured eight years of backstabbing and struggle in the official world. At last, his talent and ability earned the emperor's favor, and he rose overnight to become one of the court's most influential new officials.

Learning that he had not returned to his hometown in years, the emperor graciously granted him two months of leave to visit his ancestral home.

Who could have guessed that Lord Shi, a confirmed bachelor, would be tricked and forced to return to the capital from the countryside with a lovely wife?

*

Ning Zhaojin took her elders' advice to heart. On their wedding night, she used every trick she could think of and finally persuaded her husband to consummate their marriage.

But her husband was stiff and dull in bed, nothing like the descriptions in her illustrated books. It was enough to drive her to despair.

She swallowed her tears of frustration and only dared call him an "old fossil" in her heart.

*

To maintain his reputation at court, Shi Yuheng had always been self-disciplined and scrupulous in observing the rules.

Treating each other with respect, living in harmony, and giving his wife all due status and respect in public: he believed that was all he could do.

Even when fulfilling his marital duties, he believed he must keep to his proper role and never overstep.

But his wife was lively, spirited, and bold in her flirtation. His long-quiet heart began to stir at the sight of her, and before long, he found himself craving her more and more at night, sinking ever deeper.

He even couldn't help indulging her increasingly outrageous antics.

Then, one day, the headline on the best-selling capital gossip sheet read: Lord Shi Is Afraid of His Wife...

Even more shocking, the lascivious storybook The Pretty Widow and Her Neighbors' Little Secrets, which was all the rage in the capital and secretly read even by the crown prince, had been written by his lovely wife.

Shi Yuheng's brow twitched. He had a feeling that if he didn't give her a proper warning soon, his good name would be ruined sooner or later.

*

Not wanting to embarrass her, Shi Yuheng took Ning Zhaojin alone to the hot spring villa he had recently purchased, with a long lecture prepared in his mind.

But that night, Ning Zhaojin appeared in a crimson gauze robe, a fiery red fox tail trailing behind her. In a coquettish voice, she asked, "Where did this handsome young man come from? Would you like to share some fun with a little fox?"

When passion took hold and they were entwined cheek to cheek, he whispered in her ear, "Zhaozhao, what should you call me? Have you remembered now?"

"Hus... A-Heng..."

*

Much later, Shi Yuheng came to understand that a gentleman should remain unmoved by temptation when out in public. At home... ahem... there was no need.

Theme: Striving to break free from the shackles of fate