A Maiden's First Love

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A Jiao was lost at the age of three. When she finally returned home at fifteen, she learned that after her disappearance, her mother had been overcome with grief and taken in an adopted daughter to ease her longing.

At first, A Jiao was overjoyed to have her parents back and didn't mind. But gradually, she found the capital, Jingzhou, bewildering and uncomfortable. Her family seemed happy and harmonious, yet there seemed to be no place for her.

A Jiao longed for a family member who would love her wholeheartedly, and Heaven answered her wish by sending a handsome young man her way.

He comes from a noble family, dazzling and radiant. When he looks at her, his eyes brim with brazen temptation. But A Jiao doesn't like him. She only wants an ordinary young man, someone as plain as she is.

She makes her ideal type clear. With complete seriousness, she says, "Young Master Pei, you don't need to waste your time on me."

"Really?" Pei Xian curls his lip, unconcerned, and casually toys with the silver peony hairpin at her temple. His eyes conceal an unmistakable desire to conquer her.

"I don't believe you. The two of us were made for each other."

The young man's passionate devotion is like a sweet web. Beneath his fierce, direct advances, A Jiao gradually falls for him.

Her slow-witted parents finally notice that she's in love. A Jiao works up the courage to stammer out the truth, only to discover in utter humiliation that the whole thing was a revenge plot aimed at her.

A friend laughs teasingly. "I told you ages ago. If Brother Pei gets personally involved, that little country bumpkin is bound to fall right into his trap."

Pei Xian clicks his tongue. "She's just a foolish, dull-witted poor thing. Not much fun."

He idly waves his fan, then turns around and sees A Jiao standing outside the door.

*Both leads have only ever been with each other. A slow-burn story with a sweet main plot. They have just met at the beginning: a pure-love story about a young couple.

[🎈Coming soon: Hard to Endure the Cold Winter. "You loved me and married me, but from beginning to end, it was all in your own head."🎈]

When she visits relatives in Jingzhou, Ning Li gets separated from her maid at a Lantern Festival fair. Just as a kidnapper is about to seize her, Shen Zhaolin saves her with a flying arrow.

Later, the Shen family is demoted and exiled to the border town of Yaocheng. When the elders arrange a match between their families, Ning Li lowers her head shyly and agrees to marry him.

As they share the nuptial cup, she gazes at the young man's cold, proud, handsome face, her eyes unable to hide her adoring joy.

From then on, they will be husband and wife, together until their hair turns white.

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Shen Zhaolin comes from a noble family, but tragedy struck when he was young. His father was so devastated that he was on the verge of death. To save his father's life, Shen Zhaolin had no choice but to set aside his pride and marry a merchant's daughter who sells medicine.

He finds Ning Li's constant clinging and chatter tiresome, but sometimes her bright, clear almond eyes make him lose himself for a moment.

One day, another argument breaks out. His frustration and anger reach their peak, and he looks at her with icy contempt as he sneers, "You loved me and married me, but from beginning to end, it was all in your own head."

That night, her husband briskly and cruelly leaves a letter of divorce behind, then rides away without looking back.

The cold wind howls. Ning Li stands on the city wall, watching his resolute figure disappear into the distance. Her fingers tremble around the thin sheet of paper, reddened and numb with cold.

-

After a short winter passes, the two unexpectedly meet again in spring. But Ning Li has become a naive little fool who knows nothing of the world.

By then, the Shen family's name has been cleared and their glory restored. As a friend of the crown prince, Shen Zhaolin attends a spring banquet.

Only a few steps away, Shen Zhaolin notices the slight swell of the young woman's belly at a glance.

His whole body stiffens as he watches her stay close behind someone else, tugging at that person's sleeve and calling him the jarring word "husband" in a dazed, innocent voice.

🎈The blurb uses misleading narration and does not reflect the actual plot in full. The story is not entirely as described here. [Important!]

🎈Sweet girl x cool guy

🎈Both have only ever been with each other. Pregnancy and childbirth, with a groveling husband trying to win his wife back. Happy ending.

Coming soon: After Marrying the Villain by Proxy. Marriage first, love later / Married life

The emperor dies suddenly. Prince Qin, Jing Changheng, seizes the opportunity to take control of the court by holding the young ruler hostage. He makes no attempt to conceal his ambitions. The civil officials denounce him in fury, only to be brutally suppressed by the generals. Repeated campaigns against him end in failure.

The following year, Jing Changheng plans to forcibly marry the eldest princess. Once she bears him a child, he will be able to replace the Zhou royal house entirely.

So the youngest daughter of the Song family, the head of the civil officials, rides in a red bridal sedan chair and enters Prince Qin's residence in the eldest princess's place.

That night, the young man presses his sword to Song Bai's throat. She makes no attempt to struggle or resist, calmly closing her eyes. This is her fate now.

-

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Everyone in the realm knows that the person who married into Prince Qin's household was the eldest princess of Zhou. Jing Changheng doesn't care that the bride was switched. All he needs is a legitimate heir.

Song Bai is a disposable pawn. If she can give birth to a son, he can grant her a chance to live, in recognition of her usefulness.

The young woman looks delicate, but she is unexpectedly sensible. She wisely cuts ties with the Song family, asks no questions, and stays out of things. Even after becoming pregnant, she never takes advantage of his favor, and she doesn't utter a single cry of pain until she gives birth.

After witnessing how pale and weak she looks during childbirth, Jing Changheng remains silent for a long time, then promises in a low voice, "After the enthronement ceremony, I will restore your true name and grant you the rank of imperial consort. You will enjoy wealth and honor for the rest of your life."

The young woman smiles softly, her brows curving as she gives a quiet, gentle yes. She accepts this gracious offer without another word.

She is so obedient that even now she follows every rule and keeps to her place, never thinking to use this chance to make plans for herself and her child.

Jing Changheng feels inexplicably displeased.

She shouldn't be so indifferent, so unwilling to compete.

She should have the ambition her father and brothers hope to see in her, boldly and ruthlessly winning his heart by any means necessary.

*Both leads have only ever been with each other. A powerful ruler x a beauty. The man in power lowers his head to beg for love.

*Married-life story, slow burn.

Theme: Love should be pure.