Synopsis
Reborn noblewoman x obsessive crown prince, flirting and doting on each other.
Su Shimu, the legitimate daughter of the Duke's mansion, and her beloved Cheng Ying were in love with each other. But an imperial decree ordered her to marry the cold and ruthless Crown Prince Xiao Yichen. After their wedding, the crown prince ignored her completely. Unable to bear missing Cheng Ying, she sneaked out of the palace to meet him, only to discover his plot ahead of time.
Cheng Yizhi had originally been chosen by the Cheng family to become a secondary consort to the crown prince. But after she said, "I should be the only one in the Eastern Palace," Xiao Yichen personally went to her home and sent her back. From then on, she held a grudge against him.
"Kill her, or I'll expose you for pretending to be an illegitimate child out there." Cheng Yizhi's voice was icy.
Su Shimu refused to believe it, and didn't want to believe it, until Cheng Ying's sword pierced her throat.
When she opened her eyes again, she was back in the bridal chamber on her wedding night, red candles blazing. The crown prince was lifting her veil with a jade ruyi scepter.
This time, she saw the scorching desire hidden in Xiao Yichen's eyes. It wasn't hatred, but an obsession repressed to the depths. "Crown Princess, are you still thinking of running away?"
As his fingertips brushed the nonexistent wound on her neck, Su Shimu finally realized: the crown prince had been reborn too.
As Xiao Yichen held a wine cup to her lips, memories of her past life came rushing back: the secret of Cheng Ying's identity, the truth behind the crown prince's neglect, and... Xiao Yichen slaughtering the Cheng family after her death, then refusing to let go of her body for three days, driven to madness...
In their previous life, Crown Prince Xiao Yichen was as gentle as jade and always observed propriety. But after Su Shimu died a gruesome death, he became obsessively deranged. He slaughtered the Cheng family for her, held her corpse without sleeping or resting, and eventually died when his heart meridians gave out.
Reborn on the day of their wedding, he would keep her by his side even if she hated him, and personally tear away that man's hypocritical facade!
"In this life, I insist on having my way."
When she heard that the imperial decree had been issued, Su Shimu accepted it, pretended to faint to avoid the marriage, but was carried into the Eastern Palace all the same.
On their wedding night, Xiao Yichen's eyes were dark as he braced himself for her cold indifference. But who would have thought that Su Shimu would take the initiative and kiss him... It turned out she had been reborn too.
"Since you've entered the Eastern Palace, you should know that this time, I will never let you go."
"Your Highness is mistaken. This time, I don't want to let you go."
She drained her cup of wine. Her fingertips, painted with red nail polish, traced the crown prince's Adam's apple. "Your Highness, I want the Cheng family dead, and I want you to act out a love story with me, as devoted as a pair of mandarin ducks."
Xiao Yichen's eyes darkened. He grabbed her wrist and pinned her to the wedding bed. "I can do that right now. As for the acting..." His hot breath brushed her ear. "Are you sure you only want to pretend, Crown Princess?"
[Before You Read]:
1. Both leads are each other's first and only, one-on-one pairing, happy ending.
2. Set in a fictional world, so please don't overanalyze the historical details.
[Synopsis saved on 2025.8.12] Screenshot archived.
The next book is Rainy Night, Returning Boat. If you're interested, please visit my author page and add it to your collection.
[Dominant and possessive x resilient and clear-headed]
[Both leads are each other's first and only / seven-year age gap / love at first sight]
Xu Shining first met Zhao Zhouyang in the dean's office.
The moment she opened the door, she saw someone sitting across from the dean. The man had his back to the door and his face turned slightly to the side, as if looking at the old locust tree outside the window.
She didn't think much of it. She walked in and put the documents on the desk. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man turn around.
Xu Shining thought about it countless times afterward: what would have happened if she hadn't looked up that day? But she did.
His was a face impossible to forget. His gaze made her feel a little uneasy, so she looked away.
She didn't know who he was, much less that from that day on, she would never escape his grasp.
Later, he happened to learn she had a boyfriend, so he sent someone to investigate the man.
Later still, he helped her out of a difficult situation. "Break up with him." Zhao Zhouyang stepped toward her, his gaze fixed on her, leaving her no room to look away. "Be with me."
Four years later, Xu Shining returned to the country as a product design director. Onstage at a new product launch, she was poised, professional, and utterly composed. The girl Zhao Zhouyang had once kept sheltered behind him had grown into an independent woman.
She thought everything from the past was behind her.
After the launch, she was organizing documents backstage when a man walked in and casually shut the door behind him.
Zhao Zhouyang, head of the Zhao family of Beicheng: wherever he stood, he became the center of attention.
He leaned against the door without hurrying over. He just watched her, his gaze deep, as though he meant to see through every one of those four years. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"
His tone was calm, as if they had never parted, as if those four years had never happened.
"Mr. Zhao, this is just work."
She turned to leave. The next second, he pinned her against the desk. One hand gripped her waist, the other cradled the back of her head, enclosing her in his arms.
They were too close, close enough for her to smell the familiar cedar scent on him. She turned her face away and refused to look at him. "Zhao Zhouyang, we're over."
He lowered his head, his gaze locking onto her eyes and leaving her nowhere to hide.
"Xu Shining, you ran away once, and I waited four years. Do you really think I'll let you run away a second time?"
[Reading Notes]:
1. The characters aren't perfect. The female lead has some personal growth.
2. Set in a wholly fictional world. Please don't compare it to reality.
Theme: What does it matter if we get another chance?
