Compelled by unforeseen circumstances, Jiang Chunai stumbled into a secret realm and had an intimate encounter with a woman bearing a fox tail. With snow-white skin, raven hair, and an ethereal beauty, their limbs entwined in a dance of pure passion. It was none other than Han Xiao, her most admired Senior Sister.... more>>

After that night, a subtle shift occurred in their relationship. The usually cold-as-snow Han Xiao would, in the dead of night, transform into a hissing snake, seeking Jiang Chunai's warmth. Night after night, their bodies would entwine, a mirror of that first passionate encounter. Though Han Xiao remained calm and aloof by day, Jiang Chunai simply attributed it to her Senior Sister's reticent nature. Jiang Chunai, in turn, swallowed this forbidden fruit, keeping Han Xiao's demonic identity a secret.

*

While searching for a birthday gift for Han Xiao, Jiang Chunai met with misfortune. Her companions abandoned her, ostensibly to seek aid. Yet, the one who arrived was Han Xiao, long sword in hand, her gaze as coldly indifferent as ever. The supposed 'aid' was merely a pretense, a cruel setup for her demise. Their entwined nights, a mere means to replenish Han Xiao's spiritual energy. And in the heart of her treasured Senior Sister Han Xiao, Jiang Chunai was worth no more than an ant. The very sword she had meticulously polished day and night, cherished out of her boundless devotion, was ultimately plunged into her own body, leaving her a bloody mess. Her indifference, she realized, was no disguise; it was simply a lack of love. Never again, she vowed, would she love Han Xiao.

*

However, Jiang Chunai was not fated to die, and miraculously returned to the mortal realm. Only then did she discover Han Xiao's true identity: a Demon King, sealed in the secret realm for millennia, who, once unsealed, wreaked havoc across the immortal sects. But what did it matter? No matter if Han Xiao scoured the heavens or descended to the underworld, they were forever severed. Sharing an empathetic bond with an unfeeling demon could only lead to tragedy. Otherwise, how could Jiang Chunai, after her 'death' and newfound peace, witness Han Xiao risking life and limb to dig open her coffin, clad in a wedding dress over mourning robes, vowing to be eternally inseparable from her 'deceased wife'? What a tragically beautiful spectacle. Alas, it no longer concerned her.

Han Xiao, a born demon, existed in the chaotic Nether Realm for millennia, oblivious to the concept of emotion. Yet, everything changed the moment her sword pierced the Junior Sister who had always clung to her. She seemed to finally grasp human sentiment, staring in astonishment at the wet tear in her palm. Eons could be spent in a daze, yet this solitary moment demanded absolute clarity.* Han Xiao had believed herself incapable of love, but when that gentle gaze fell upon another, her heart twisted as if pierced by a blade, nearly bursting with agony. She realized that Jiang Chunai could be tender with others, and Han Xiao, for once, was no exception. Some desires are only fulfilled through repayment. <<less

*Double rebirth/regression revenge angst-romance. Scheming noble alpha vs. tsundere black-inside-white-outside omega.*... more>>

Mu Lanshi loved Princess Meng Yan her whole life, but on the day Meng Yan rose to power, she grounded her sincerity into dust: “Lady Mu’s sincerity, in this palace’s eyes, is no different from the rotten rice in Pingjin Alley.”

Meng Yan caused her to lose her official position, called her the most useless alpha, trapped her in a tiny cage, falsely accused her of treason, and slaughtered all one hundred thirty-seven members of her family.

The storm raged like blades. Mu Lanshi collapsed in a pool of blood and heard someone stepping through the water.

***

Only after death did Mu Lanshi learn that Meng Yan had longed someone else in her heart. After killing Mu Lanshi, Meng Yan couldn’t wait to bring that person into the residence, indulging in nightly revelry.

Her corpse was thrown into the wilderness, left for the wolves to devour.

But at the third watch, just before dawn, a noble lady who should have been chanting sutras in Cining Palace rushed to her side. That empress, who always denounced her as absurd in the court, now pieced together her broken bones in the sea of torrential rain.

***

Qi Yingzhu saw Mu Lanshi again at a banquet where a marriage was being arranged for the princess:

Graceful as orchid and jade, noble as wind and moonlight.

It was the wind that moved, and the heart that stirred. It was the dream that turned sleepless in longing.

But she would be Meng Yan's betrothed in name, even if the traces of that night’s passion had not yet faded.

After Mu Lanshi died, Qi Yingzhu gathered her remains, laid low for years, and once she came into power, finally held a grand funeral in the manner of a king.

She made the world know that Mu Lanshi was the best alpha to have ever lived.

But the Mu Lanshi resting in eternal slumber would never know that on the day of her grand wedding, surrounded by the cheers of the people, someone in the shadows gazed at her in silence for a long time—suppressing the most intense, deep, and hidden feelings, because they were both forbidden by propriety and incompatible in love.

***

When Mu Lanshi opened her eyes again, she found herself back on that very day.

The night before Qi Yingzhu was forced into the palace, she trembled beneath her like early spring snow, whispering: “Alpha, you must come marry me…”

The scent of desire was heavy in the air. Mu Lanshi’s voice was hoarse but resolute: “All right.”

***

When the emperor knelt at the ancestral temple to confess his sins, the ceremonial wine on the dragon throne spilled over Qi Yingzhu’s bruised waist.

Mu Lanshi tore open the golden embroidered waist belt, pressing the wedding decree soaked in incense to her heart: “It was Her Highness who gathered my broken bones in the previous life. Wasn’t I meant to repay you like this?"

The official robe tangled with ceremonial dress along with their self-condemnation rustled between their entwined knees.

Qi Yingzhu bit into her shoulder, gasping softly: “Only today did I realize, the emperor’s seal isn't as red as Lady Mu’s marriage certificate.”

***

Reading Guide:

Dual rebirth/regression, revenge, and sweet drama with a touch of angst, ancient ABO/Omegaverse, original setting. 

Scheming, proud heiress of an influential family (alpha) VS a tsundere, elegant yet pure noble girl (omega).

Forceful, aware of sinking into obsession, crawling in darkness, regrets. Characters have shades of gray.

The melodramatic female protagonist's POV is sweet, smooth-sailing, and will ultimately rise to power. <<less