Red Makeup
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Summary
She is like the ever-scorching sun of the southern desert, fire in her heart, leaving barrenness wherever she goes. Her shijie is her only weakness—and the reason she came to the Central Plains for revenge.
Meeting Ji Hanchu was beyond her expectations: a youth as precious and pure as the moon in the sky, illuminating the wasteland in her heart.
But he and she are ultimately different. Her vengeance cannot move his righteousness, and his love cannot change her heart.
"Third Young Master Ji, three cups of fine wine. First, I wish you good health and a long life. Second, I wish you and Miss Yin a lifetime together, white-haired and surrounded by children and grandchildren. Third, I wish us each far apart, each finding our own peace. I wish you never think of me. From this parting on, mountains and rivers stretch wide, and we shall never meet again."
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who love historical romance and enjoy revenge intertwined with emotional push-and-pull
- Readers who appreciate restraint, forbearance, and the aesthetics of a bittersweet ending
- Readers looking for a heroine who actively chooses her own fate rather than depending on others
- Readers seeking emotional immersion for concentrated nighttime or weekend reading
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting tight political scheming and court intrigue detail
- Readers who prefer light, sweet romance with no angst throughout
- Readers with low tolerance for open or bittersweet endings
Reading tips
- Don't rush to pick sides between the leads; note each tug between the heroine's "inner fire" and her "weakness"—her motives become clearer
- Slow down at the three-cups-of-wine passage near the end and revisit earlier foreshadowing to feel the restrained devotion and letting go
- If the bittersweet ending weighs on you, jot a few character notes to process your feelings—easier to digest than immediately starting another book
- Discuss with fellow readers whether vengeance and righteousness can coexist; use the emotional conflict as a way into understanding the characters
About the publisher
Sichuan Literature and Art Publishing House is a professional literary and art publishing institution. It mainly publishes books on contemporary and modern literature, foreign literature, poetry and prose, music and art, and literary theory. Judging from the books in the database, the house places considerable emphasis on classic works and foreign literature. Representative titles include Lu Xun's Call to Arms and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk, Lao She's Camel Xiangzi, Xiao Hong's The Story of Hulan River, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, William Shakespeare's Hamlet, and Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha. Its translator resources include Deng Jiawan, Shi Zhongge, Du Yunci, and Zhu Shenghao. Common categories include social fiction, classic works, foreign literature, world classics, literary appreciation, and classical poetry, reflecting a publishing profile that balances Chinese and foreign literary classics with literary appreciation.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 第一章 被绑架 小郎君，我要带你私奔
- 第二章 忆往昔 小古板，不是要抓我问罪吗，怎么还不过来？
- 第三章 撞南墙 不知道你这慈悲愿不愿意度一度我
- 第四章 风波起 她生来是风，是自由的
- 第五章 心动了 因为这是个死局，就像他的感情一样
- 第六章 我要你 红妆，我中意你
- 第七章 伤心人 可是这个世上，红妆也只有一个
- 第八章 道永别 江南留不住她，他不能留她
- 第九章 再相见 我从死人堆里爬出来，来找你
- 第十章 爱如命 他一定很爱你
- 第十一章 欲无穷 这将会是一场了结
- 第十二章 黑夜至 对有的人来讲，万里河山就是万里苦难
- 第十三章 天亮了 这一定会是很好、很好的一生
- 番外一 大小姐 这么多年，他要的依然是她的如愿
- 番外二 季之远 是命选择了我，不是我选择了命
- 番外三 有情人 她同其他人不一样，总是特别的
- 番外四 少年时 塞北不好玩，你留在这里吧，留在我身边吧
- 番外五 一生情 我将这一生交到姑娘手里，麻烦看顾了
FAQ
Is the romance sweet or angsty?
What motivates the heroine's revenge?
Can I read this without having read the author's other works?
Comments
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About the author
Daoxia Liutang is a Chinese web novelist who calls herself "a storyteller" and is known for a bittersweet style that blends tenderness with heartache—her pen name itself hints at this contrast between the sharp and the sweet. Six of her works are currently listed, spanning youth literature, time-travel and alternate-history fiction, and modern romance. Representative titles include Waiting for Him to Return, Yinyun San, Red Makeup, and Ruan Qingmeng, Is That You?, as well as the 20-volume reunion series Waiting for the Moon to Return. Several of her works have been published by Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House and Taihai Publishing House. Public information about her real name, dates, education, and writing career is limited, so this introduction focuses mainly on her themes and style.
