Is It Really That Hard to Resist My Beautiful Stepmother’s Advances?

How does Du Jianian, a prim and proper, affection-starved young lady, resist the deliberate advances of her beautiful, wicked stepmother, Tang Ning?

Du Jianian was born a young lady of a grand household, but her birth was lowly and she was neglected.

After accidentally witnessing a murder, she was dragged into a struggle for succession. To protect herself, she had no choice but to humor her murderous stepmother.

Her stepmother took her hand, her voice gentle and assured. "Jianian, you were a delightful surprise I never expected to find when I came to the Du household."

"Mother, you jest."

Du Jianian plotted carefully at every turn, thinking she could keep herself safe. Who could have guessed that she'd fall in love?

Tang Ning was a seasoned player in the instances, relying on conquering NPCs to clear puzzles and complete levels. The Du family's young lady was a once-in-a-millennium golden NPC. How could Tang Ning pass her up?

She expertly deployed the three classic tricks for conquering an NPC, quickly raising her stepdaughter's favorability.

Under her advances, the prim and serious little grouch turned into a cheerful, clingy bun.

Her stepdaughter's soft face rested in her palm as she murmured tenderly, "Tang Ning... you said you wouldn't leave me..."

Tang Ning thought she could tell the virtual from reality, but when she finally left the instance, she realized how laughable her assumptions had been.

In a grand old mansion, lanterns and decorations were everywhere. Gongs and drums thundered, firecrackers crackled.

It was a joyous day for the Du family: the seventh wife of Du, the great landowner, was moving into the household.

Tang Ning, the new stepmother, sat in a small sedan chair as it swayed on the way into the Du estate.

An auspicious day, wedding candles, and a murder that took no more than a blow to the head.

Du Jianian witnessed her stepmother commit the murder with her own eyes. More than fear, curiosity rose within her.

Her stepmother was so beautiful. Could she be the enchanting demoness from the storybooks?

Tang Ning had married into the Du household in someone else's place to uncover the truth. Now that the truth had come to light, the time had come for her to leave.

But seeing the Du family's young lady with her face streaked with tears, Tang Ning said something quite cruel: "Why are you holding a grudge against me? You should be grateful beyond words that someone like me came along to make your boring life interesting."

Premise: Take control of your own life.