I Should Have Known Better Than to Pretend

To avenge her father, Wen Zhong, the top assassin of the martial arts world, disguised herself as a fragile maiden to approach Yan Jing, the Grand Chancellor of the current dynasty. Her aim was to seduce him with her beauty, using his influence to uncover the truth.

But she always felt something was off.

Rumor had it that Yan Jing was aloof and ethereal, respectful of etiquette and sensible, never approaching an unmarried woman by even half a step. If the rumors were true, then who was this dashing gentleman who constantly gazed at her with affectionate eyes, practically inseparable from her?

However, when Wen Zhong put on her most alluring and seemingly delicate expression, biting her lip as if on the verge of tears, and spoke to the Grand Chancellor—

"Lord Yan, in truth, this humble maiden has already set her heart on…"

"Miss," Yan Jing stepped back, bowing respectfully, "please compose yourself."

Wen Zhong's smile cracked. Who was it that needed to compose themselves?

From the first moment Yan Jing saw Wen Zhong, he knew she had ulterior motives. The faint scent of blood on her, her nearly silent footsteps, her extraordinary reaction speed… None were abilities a fragile woman should possess. To uncover her true purpose, he decided to play along, using the opportunity to test her identity. In the process, he found himself amused.

But unfortunately, Wen Zhong seemed only interested in his power. Even if she was incredibly attentive and full of affection at the moment, she might leave immediately once her goal was achieved.

Helplessly, he decided to use himself as bait, casting himself into her net. He would cooperate with Wen Zhong's pace and plan, pretending to fall into her gentle trap, maintaining a teasing distance, and revealing helplessness and indulgence at the appropriate times, luring her to fall in love with him…

Until one day, Wen Zhong suddenly woke up with a start from her bed: "No, this isn't right!"

Yan Jing wrapped his arm around her, pressing her back down: "Hush, go back to sleep."

Content Warning:

The main storyline is the female protagonist's revenge. The romance and plot are roughly 60/40. The early plot setup is quite long, and the romance develops slowly.

In terms of intelligence, the male lead is superior to all others; in terms of combat power, the female lead is superior to all others.

This novel is entirely fictional, with coolness and enjoyment as its primary goals. Please enjoy it and do not take it too seriously.

The female lead is a romantic klutz, but not foolish.

Both the male and female leads are decisive in dealing with people. Whether it's an obstacle or a moral disagreement, if they hesitate to "slice" someone, they just "slice" them.

The daily and romantic parts are sweet, but the main storyline is slightly angsty. The angst is for supporting characters, not the main characters, and for the plot, not the relationship. However, all characters (except villains) have happy endings.