Painting Dreams

绿杨著水Jan 2026

3.1

Word count: 192K words
Chapters: 73

Summary

A former-dynasty daughter bent on revenge × a straightforward, loyal palace assassin. Her mother was humiliated, her father imprisoned, and every member of the household perished. That year the azalea blossoms were more vivid than freshly spilled blood. She vowed to live solely for revenge—severing affection, renouncing love, letting go of all attachment to the world. Yet fate brought her face to face with someone unexpected. He was well named: he loved to ride a white horse, and his smile was like an entire spring.

He asked her: "What is the young lady's wish? With a painting of drifting clouds, a horse, and a sword, I will make it come true for you." But could he give her what she wanted? She wanted the realm to change hands, history to be rewritten, and the one on the throne to never know peace. How could she let go of hatred? How could she walk side by side with him? How could she forget the endless blood of her family? Loyalty to family and enmity toward the state, the bonds of love—how should she choose?

Editor's review

This is a long historical romance driven by revenge as its main thread and emotional choice as its tension. The heroine bears a blood debt for her entire family and vows to sever affection and renounce love, yet she meets a straightforward, luminous palace assassin; their positions are inherently opposed, so the emotional progression is always accompanied by a moral tug-of-war. The author repeatedly layers in imagery—azaleas, a white horse, a sword and a painting—creating a vivid sense of scene and an emotional undertone, offering a strongly immersive reading experience. The appeal of the narrative lies not in the complexity of political intrigue but in the characters' repeated wavering between hatred and attraction, and in how the suspense of "whether he can give her what she wants" is resolved. It is suitable for continuous reading in leisure time, following the characters' emotional ups and downs; those who prefer lighthearted sweetness or rigorous historical research should adjust their expectations.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy historical romance and prefer settings where revenge and emotional tension intertwine
Romance readers accustomed to following the heroine's perspective through intense emotional ups and downs
Readers who enjoy imagery-laden description such as azaleas, white horses, swords, and paintings, and value atmosphere
Readers who want to binge-read a long emotional story in their leisure time

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting rigorous historical research and authentic dynastic settings
Readers who prefer lighthearted sweetness and wish to avoid hatred and bloodshed
Readers who care more about complex political intrigue than romantic entanglements

Reading tips

Read chapter by chapter continuously, and note the recurrence of imagery such as azalea blossoms to appreciate the emotional buildup.
While reading, record the key moments of conflict between the hero's and heroine's positions to better understand the logic of the emotional turns.
If you become deeply emotionally invested, pause appropriately between tense passages to avoid reading to exhaustion in one sitting.

版权信息
卷一引动宫商
1、红玉金臂钏
2、落籍
3、金屋藏娇
4、救人
5、换君一诺
6、江涛烟柳
卷二为君扬名
7、门客
8、除恶
9、红装
10、曲谱
11、党争
卷三半夏雅集
12、白马
13、天香楼
14、雅集
15、月冷繠寒
16、燕草萋萋
卷四一树桃李
17、公案
18、人道是
19、惊魂
20、祸不单行
21、燃犀照怪
22、人心难测
卷五秀裛公主
23、琴师
24、一往情深深深几许
25、相见欢
26、联句、射覆、比箭
27、书信
28、芳辰宴
29、剑截眸中一寸光
30、断肠
卷六飞云流彩
31、譬如朝露
32、月迷津渡
33、山雨欲来
34、清风朗月
35、弭乱
36、人生何处
卷七龙城飞将
37、遍寻
38、重逢
39、托付
40、故人
41、往事
42、衷情
43、决杀
44、恋人
45、盗书
46、阿珞
47、平反
48、良辰
49、皆苦
卷八西夏风云
50、一日公主
51、和亲
52、射天狼
53、定策
54、延婚期
55、铺垫
56、先发制人
57、顺水推舟
58、卒起不意
59、决战
卷九曲尽云行
60、举棋不定
61、为渊驱鱼
62、一切因由
63、山河满目

FAQ

Is the romance sweet or angsty?

Overall it leans toward a romance with emotional tension. The heroine makes revenge her life's goal and vows to sever affection and renounce love, while the hero's identity is inherently opposed to hers; their approach to each other is always accompanied by conflict between morality and emotion. When reading, it is better to expect emotional ups and downs and the tension of choice rather than lighthearted, sweet daily interactions throughout.

I haven't read similar historical romance before—can I start with this one?

Yes. The story revolves around the heroine's family vendetta and emotional choices, with a clear main thread, and does not depend on prior reading of other works. It is suggested to first accept its narrative style, which leans toward emotion and imagery, and follow the heroine's perspective into the situation; after the relationships become clear in the middle section, it will be easier to become immersed.

Is the ending happy or regretful?

The materials do not cover the direction of the ending, so it cannot be judged on that basis. The core suspense of the story lies in how the heroine chooses between hatred and attraction, and whether the hero can give her what she wants. It is suggested to read with this suspense and focus on the process of the characters' choices rather than presupposing the ending.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

绿杨著水 Author

Lü Yang Zhuoshui is a web-fiction author about whom very little public information is available. The author's real name, nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name have not been clearly recorded, and the only signed work that can be verified is the novel Huameng Yin (Drawing Dreams). On the basis of the available information, this work is classified as time-travel alternate-world fiction, a popular genre built on temporal or dimensional shifts and invented settings; the author writes within this framework, though the specific plot, characters, and stylistic details cannot yet be discussed because of the limited material. The common classification suggests that the author's approach leans toward imaginative storytelling set in an alternate world rather than realistic fiction grounded in actual history or contemporary life. As the author has very few works to their name and there is little public material on their biography, statements on craft, or reviews, it is not yet possible to make a more specific judgment about the overall character of their writing, their creative development, or their influence among readers. This profile is based solely on in-house facts and verifiable public information and may be supplemented and revised if new material comes to light.