Bright Pearls

Description

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Wei Zhuang had been a noble daughter-in-law for many years, shouldering the burdens and complaints, and upholding the virtues of a dignified lady. Suddenly, she felt tired of it. In the eyes of outsiders, she seemed to have married well and should be grateful.

Her husband, Xie Jingyan, was a talented and virtuous man who held a high position in the government. He was also a devoted husband who didn’t take concubines and treated Wei Zhuang generously. But how could they know that the couple had been living in separate rooms for many years, and their relationship had long been exhausted? They were just going through the motions.

One day, Wei Zhuang woke up to find herself back in her maiden state, before she got married. She was still young and full of vitality, without the burdens of her married life. She hadn’t been used by the Xie family as a shield for the princess, and she didn’t have to worry about giving birth to a son who would be taken away by her mother-in-law. She also didn’t have to tolerate her husband’s mistress.

Wei Zhuang smiled to herself, feeling a sense of freedom. She stroked her slender waist and touched her soft and delicate cheeks. Looking at the luxurious flowers in the boat cabin, she thought to herself, “This life, I’ll be a rare and beautiful black peony. Let’s start with breaking off the engagement.”

Xie Jingyan came from a noble family, and was known for his integrity and virtue. But for some reason, he kept dreaming of a beautiful woman with a mole on her neck. She was lying beside him, soft and fragrant. This made him feel disturbed, and when he leaned in to take a closer look, he suddenly woke up. Until one day, he realized that his fiancée, who was coming to the capital from Yunzhou, was the woman in his dreams.

Xie Jingyan felt relieved and happy to have found his dream woman. He thought to himself, “After we get married, I’ll definitely treat her well.”

But who would have thought that the woman would say, “I’m sorry, I want to break off the engagement.”

Xie Jingyan asked, “What’s wrong?”

Note: This is a story about a couple who gets married first and then falls in love.

The content tags include: a love that is predestined by fate, a contract marriage that turns into love, and a husband who chases after his wife to make amends for past misunderstandings.

One-sentence summary: A contractual marriage that blossoms into love.

Theme: The story emphasizes the importance of self-reliance, self-improvement, and creating a beautiful life.

Associated Names
One entry per line
BP
Brilliant Pearls
càn zhū jī
燦珠玑
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Chang’an’s First Beauty (1)
Jin Wang Dotes on His Concubine (1)
Reborn After Widowhood (1)
Reborn Lady (1)
The Grand Princess (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. my favorite Chinese historical romance novels
  2. CHINESE HISTORICAL ROMANCE 2
  3. 2025 New Reads (Mostly Imperial Harem)
  4. Top Tier
  5. Pleasant Surprises

Latest Release

Date Group Release
07/21/25 Cloud Tls c11
07/19/25 Cloud Tls c10
07/19/25 Cloud Tls c9
07/18/25 Cloud Tls c8
06/01/25 Cloud Tls c7
05/12/25 Cloud Tls c6
04/26/25 Cloud Tls c5
03/27/25 Cloud Tls c4
03/17/25 Cloud Tls c3
03/12/25 Cloud Tls c2
03/02/25 Cloud Tls c1
03/02/25 Cloud Tls prologue
Review
1 Review


Sherlocked
Sherlocked
May 20, 2025
Status: Completed
Definitely a hidden gem (or should I say pearl?)

The beginning of the novel reminded me a bit of Chang'an's First Beauty (with a man who remembers his beloved woman's death in a dream, burdened with heart wrenching pain) as well as Reborn Lady (a woman trying to reclaim her life with a second chance, wanting to make up for her past regrets). The themes are similar but Bright Pearls is much gentler and less cutthroat. The novel slowly carves out its own identity, and quite successfully too.

One standout... more>> was the chapter written from the "villainess's" point of view. It made me sigh—sometimes, it's the outsiders who see the truth most clearly. I love the second-chance trope when it's done right, and this novel strikes that tricky balance between emotional depth and good pacing. It doesn't fall into melodrama, and the writing stays focused.

That said, I am not a big fan of the constant description of the FL's graceful figure and the ML's gentlemanly manner. It got a bit repetitive early on. But once you settle in, the story flows well and builds emotional weight naturally. A very satisfying read overall.

And for the record, the low ratings are baffling—it feels like sabotage, especially considering the limited number of translations available. (Barely 6 listed chapters, and 9 votes with rating of 3.2 on NU at the time of writing this review)

Having read this to the end, I can say that this is one of the better novels listed on NU. It is a well-written and well-structured novel that deserves more recognition. My personal rating would be 4.5 stars. <<less
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