「 The Lucky Ones 」 朱智慧。
the lucky ones Credit
NAME : Christineplotline : the princess
Character Name : zhu zhihui (朱智慧)
Nickname(s) :
the hidden princess of shanghai - nobody ever sees her since she's usually stuck in bed or hidden behind her brother. some people have forgotten she's even existed.
tianshi (天使) - it's angel in chinese, in her language. she doesn't like it when lu han calls her this, but he does it anyway.
the brain - her mother and the servants call her this, and her brother is "the brawn". she does better thinking than fighting, and he does better fighting than thinking.
Age : 21
Birthdate : october 29th
Hometown : shanghai
face claim : park sora
backup face claim : jung minhee
love int : lu hanbackup : kim jongdae
Nickname(s) :
princess luhan - he does look pretty feminine, so sometimes his brothers or zhihao will call him this. zhihao does it in a more bitter tone, though.
lu - just a shortened version of his name. zhihui accidentally called him that once. he never caught it, though.
visuals — zhihui stands at 160cm and weighs 46 kg, giving her a very thin and small frame. she was born frail and weak, so she's always described as looking "pale and sickly". she has light brown eyes and long, straight black hair befitting of a young princess such as herself. SHE USUALLY styles it simply. sometimes she'll tie some of her hair to the side of her head into a bun and leave the rest of it down. her hair is really long, ending at her lower back. other times, she braids parts of it and pins it up. she dislikes large ornaments in her hair, but will have to use a few more than usual whenever her mother desires it. her closet is filled with multitudes of colorful hanfu, from a soft pink one to ones that are multi colored. whenever her mother or her father are around, the servants dress her in a light blue one with claims that her mother constantly requests for it. when training with her brother, she wears entirely white and carries the sword he had given her to protect herself with. if she had to pick her own favorite out of all the hanfu that she owns, it'd be another entirely white one. she wears this one the most, since to her it is the most comfortable and the best looking one.
personality —
POS. rational, quick-minded, observant, analytic, flexible
NEU. PERFECTIONIST, SECRETIVE
NEG. DETACHED, COLD, CUNNING, DEPENDENT, FRETFUL
zhihui, at an early age, had learned to drop emotions when she didn't need them and pick them back up when she did. she was born with a blank expression, and it returned in her early teen years. the girl isn't particularly quiet or outgoing, but some could see her as so, since she doesn't speak unless spoken to. every move of hers around anyone that isn't her family is calculated and thought out. she always has a intricate plan in her head before she says something or makes a move. she knows exactly what to say to make someone happy, but she also knows exactly what to say to make someone's life miserable. because of that, she's the type of person who can hold multiple secrets to herself without ever telling anyone else.
even every gesture she makes is most likely calculated. if her plan is ruined by another factor that she hadn't predicted, then she can quickly form another one so she can still accomplish her goal. her mother had raised her to think that way. to her, life is a game and she needs to make the right moves to win it. she understands emotions but doesn't understand her own. she doesn't have any particular walls around her heart, but her coldness to others makes her seem far away and hard to get close to. she's frequently in bed because of her weak immune system, but it doesn't stop her from improving herself constantly. she needs everything she does to be perfect, or else she becomes irritated. even if she doesn't want to do a job she's been assigned to, she'll instinctively do it perfectly to please herself.
seeing her smile isn't uncommon, since she knows when to smile at others to make them feel like she's easier to talk to, but every emotion she shows is practically an act. but boy, is she a good actress. smiling, frowning, being angry, she knows how to do all that to please the person before her. like mentioned earlier, every one of her moves and gestures are calculated. but there are ocassions where some people will get closer to her, and those are the people she ends up becoming dependent on. despite always looking so cold and independent, she could never survive on her own. she needs to be around the people she loves, and the people that love her back. she cares for them so deeply, that when they're not around, she becomes worried for them and their safety. it's why she holds onto her brother's hand or her bodyguard's clothing whenever she feels anxious or nervous. though of course, she would only do such a thing when nobody is looking. it's a surprisingly childish side of her, that she only shows to the people who accidentally get too close.
around people like that, those who accidentally end up getting past her naturally cold attitude, she's almost like a little girl. she's like an open book. her emotions are always on her face for them to read, even though she can't understand them herself. if she's sad, sometimes she won't notice it until her brother points it out. she has small habits like her lower lip twitching when she's upset or her brows furrowing when she's angry. she's human, so of course she can't drop all of her emotions. she just doesn't know how to deal with them. she thinks they're useless, but zhihao and jitian think otherwise. on top of having her emotions pretty much written out for them to see, she drops her calculating side and stops thinking about what move would be the best. she's still a little cold and on the quiet side, but it's mostly in a shy, flustered way. she knows she can be herself around them, but she doesn't know what kind of personality her true self has. this side of her is so rare to see, which is why only two people who've been with her for over a decade can see it.
inner demon — if zhihui were to be one of the seven sins, she'd be envy. she's a princess that has everything but still looks at her disadvantages and envies others advantages. this easily causes her to hate others and scorn them. though she knows exactly how to make people happy, it doesn't mean she has to. she'd never sabotage her brother's right to the throne with her envy, she has enough rationale to control herself there, but if it were just her, she knows exactly what to say to ruin someone's day. one of the only emotions she can't control, is the jealousy she constantly feels for everything she can't have. and that jealousy can sometimes control her life and how she acts and reacts.
trivia —
- each letter in her name (zhihui) means smart. zhi (智) stands for "intelligence and wisdom" and hui (慧) means "intelligent and wise".
- learned to play the guzheng after her brother left to train
- to her, family is the most important thing in the world.
- has arachnophobia
- carries a sword around with her when she leaves the palace, even though she has a personal bodyguard. she can use it, not exceptionally well, but her brother was the one who demanded she do so.
- hates the cold since she gets chilly easily, and when she gets chilly, she gets sick.
- can't drink. will get drunk with one sip.
- isn't a huge fan of animals, though she can tolerate them.
- likes touching others in small motions like putting a hand on their arm or gently holding their sleeve.
- in one week, she's probably stuck in bed about 4/7 days.
- her sickliness is what causes most of her jealousy for others.
- really adores flowers.
background — zhihui was born into the world as the state princess of shanghai, minutes after her twin brother zhihao. she was a baby that rarely cried, usually staring blankly into space instead. she always had a certain look in her eye that made people feel as if she were seeing right through them. as she grew older, her blank expresses faded and she started to become more like her brother. he was active, always moving around and doing whatever he could to be anything but still. she liked to mimic his smiles, his laughter, and his way of talking. she looked up to him, a boy who could run around doing whatever he wanted.
she realized later on in her life that she envied him. she envied his carefree nature, his ability to do anything he wanted. on the contrary, zhihui was frequently laying in bed with a fever, or being scolded by her mother for doing rash things and not considering her own health. princess zhihui had been born into this world light, weak, and frail. it was like her energetic brother had the life force out of her when they shared a womb together. but still, little zhihui enjoyed trying to copy zhihao's boyish smiles as if they could be her own. she enjoyed the way he'd pull her outside in their free time and try to teach her how to swing a sword the same way that he was taught.
she didn't realize how dependent she had become on her brother until her mother had told her that their uncle was taking him away to train him to become stronger. ten year old zhihui blinked her owlish eyes, stars shimmering brightly in them. she had stolen those stars from her brother, and kept them for her own. when she was waving goodbye to zhihao, she dropped the stars she had stolen back onto the ground and, for a long time, never returned to pick them up.
frail little zhihui spent the next few weeks trapped in her bedroom. she coughed, and sniffled, and lived her life in pain. she had nearly forgotten what it was like when she wasn't sick. during the brief times between her random spurts of sicknesses, she'd pick up a sword. each time, her mother would watch her struggle around and eventually, the woman sat her down and placed a scroll in her lap.
"let knowledge be your strength." she had told her. zhihui stared up at her mother with those blank eyes of hers, expression calm and collected. her mother taught her larger words, taught her how to form sentences with them and how to understand and comprehend every single word printed onto paper. and slowly, zhihui forgot about the sword her brother would hand her and picked up as many books as she could in it's place.
zhihui grew more and more dependent on her mother, always excited for her praise when she'd do something correct. as she grew older, the praise started to lessen and the young princess became colder and more detached from her own emotions. she had taught herself how to throw emotions away when needed, and how ot pick them back up when she needed to fake a sweet smile. this only took her two years of reading and occasionally eavesdropping into her parent's conversations.
zhihui hadn't seen her brother in a little over four years, but she grew closer to him through the letters they sent to each other. despite not being able to speak face to face, she clung tightly to that bond they shared through the words they'd put on paper. and when she thought about it, she realized justh ow strong words could be. she realized just how much words could do, and with her new discovery, she burrowed her nose deeper into literature and scrolls.
as she neared eighteen, she was informed that zhihao would be back very soon. she picked the stars that she dropped five years ago up off the ground and they twinkled excitedly in her eyes. she wondered how much he had changed, and for days she missed hours of sleep with the question of, 'what will i say to him when he first comes back?'. because of that, she slept in the day he arrived and she woke up to a foreign face; one that was familiar but new all at once. even though she knew he would've changed, he had changed more than she could've ever imagined. when she wracked her brain for things to discuss, she realied how little they actually had in common and how much harder it was to talk to her brother face to face.
she grew closer with her brother again, but as she watched him grow bigger and bigger, she grew even smaller than she had ever been. with her brother back, her parent's attention was solely on him. the mother that she had depended on for a large portion of her life had basically forgotten about the frail and little twin to give all of her attention to the more important one. the more successful one.
zhihui, as a child, was on par with zhihao. the twins were always equal. they got the same amount of food, even if zhihui couldn't eat it all. if one got a toy, the other would as well. but when zhihui became an adult, she had become the one to live in her brother's shadow. the whole province's attention was on state prince zhihao who had been gone for nearly eight years to become a strong warrior. and slowly, zhihui questioned why she had delved into so many books if nobody would care for the forgotten half of the pair.
her brother, despite the boy being cheery and social, didn't know how to handle politics and really only knew how to fight. zhihui on the other hand, was practically raised for politics. she knew exactly what to say to please people. it took a lot of convincing from her mother, and a shy request from zhihao, before she decided to officially become her brother's shadow. she sat next to him whenever he needed to speak to the public and constantly told him what to say, telling him which decision was best and how to make the audience happy and motivated.
her mother controls her life, which is how she ended up following her brother to a nearby country so they could discuss typical politics. she had held her brother's hand the whole time, telling him exactly what to say as always. despite her cautious nature, she never paid attention to the eyes focused on her instead of the state prince.
relations —
twin brother ||zhu zhihao (21) || when he first arrived home, they were, of course, awkward with each other. it took a few months for them to open up to each other again, but now she knows she has her brother back. they've always been close, and he's always been her best friend. she relies on him for practically everything, and he's one of the reasons why she became so dependent on others. he needs her around to become a good king, yes, but he also enjoys her company. around him, it's like she can gain her emotions back again. he's the most important person in her life, and in all honesty she feels that her life would lose meaning without him.
bodyguard || hu jitian (24) || he's been her personal guard since he was 12 and she was 10. after her brother left, her mother decided she needed one, and assigned jitian. to her, jitian is just as close to family as her own blood brother is. he watched her grow up, and she ended up allowing him to speak informally to her (much to her mother's displeasure) though he only does so when nobody else is around. he saw her change from a cheery young girl to the cold woman she is today. he's the one that understands her the most, and the one that is always there for her when she calls. one, because it's his job, and two, because he deeply cares for her like his own younger sister.
mother || zhu shao ai (44) || she has full control over zhihui and zhihao's life. never are her intentions evil, but the woman does get greedy and angry at times. most of the time, she forgets that her children have their own emotions and feelings. she insists that what she does is always in shanghai's best interests, but really, it's all in her reputation's best interests. raising a good king would make her look good, and being able to marry her daughter off to a prince of a country full of prosperity would make people look at the queen in awe. shao ai loves herself more than anybody else--and that includes both of her children. zhihui would never do anything to disobey her, and can't do anything but listen to everything she says.
lover's background — being the second son was always a huge responsibility to him. he felt like he needed to do his best, and be the best so he could deserve the role he was born into. lu han was always a hardworker, doing everything he could to excel in everything. and he did end up excelling in everything--every subject his tutors would teach him, appearing as a kind and sweet prince, and becoming the second prince that his parents had wanted. lu han, now that he's excelled in everything and is practically at a standstill, now thinks that he deserves the throne. he's worked the hardest, and has ended up becoming the best out of his 11 brothers, so he strongly believes that he should become king. sure, he loves the rest of his brothers and would never do them harm, but he can't help but put himself and his efforts above them.
personality —
materialistic, determined, selfish, possessive, two-faced, affectionate
in front of certain people, lu han can be an angel. to others, he's a demon. angel lu han is the him he shows to his people and his parents. they think he's gentlemanly, soft-spoken, and polite. to them, he's the perfect son and the prince that always tries his hardest and strives to be the best. he always has a warm smile on his face, and people can practically see a halo over his head. he looks angelic, and acts angelic. he loves his brothers and his family, always taking care of the younger princes and making sure they're healthy and doing well.
the demon second prince is different though, and that's the side of him that his brothers and servants see. lu han grew up surrounded by money--so it became his life. he loves objects that are worth a lot and the higher the price, the more it's worth to him. it doesn't help that once he wants something, he'll definitely be getting it later on. it's the same with women, and the throne. something he considers his, is his and only his. there's no way he'd ever be giving it up. he wants everything in the world to be his, and it's one of the larger reasons as to why he wants the throne.
though, the real lu han is a combination of the two. he loves his brothers and those close to him, and he desires to take care of them. but there's no way he's soft-spoken and angelic. he's a little rude, usually not thinking before he speaks. at the same time, he's all of his demonic traits. he used to believe that everything could be bought, though that changed later on in his life. though if possible, he'd like to solve all problems with money and his power as second prince. he's still posessive, and stubborn. once he's set his mind on something, he'll have to accomplish it no matter what happens. it doesn't matter to him how he gets it, he just wants it and that's all he can think about until it's achieved.
trivia—
- he'd rather fight with a bow and arrow, than a sword
- he doesn't like it when zhihui constantly brings a sword around with her
- being the second eldest, he does have some power over the younger princes.
- zhihui still calls him prince lu han, much to his disdain. he's tried to convince her to do otherwise, but she's adamant.
inner demon — if zhihui were envy, then lu han would be both greed. his desire for the throne has given him tunnel vision, and all he can see is what he has to do to achieve his goal. consequences don't come to his mind as long as he gets what he wants. so what if a few lives are lost? its the same with anything else he wants. if he wants a certain ring, he'll have it by the time he's heading home. if he wants someone's attention, he's getting it, no matter what. and thanks to his stubborn and determined personality, he'd never let his target and goal out of his sight.
love story —
"who's the woman behind the state prince?"
the prince that zhihao had met was the second prince of eudaimonia, lu han. zhihui, who had been forced to follow along, had taken her personal guard's hand and stepped out of the carriage right after her brother. she had a blank expression, her skin was almost too pale and her fingers looked way too slim to be healthy, but he couldn't help but think she was unbelievably beautiful.
"it's nice to meet you, princess zhihui. i'm prince luhan, second prince of eudaimonia."
she looked extremely surprised when he greeted her, and her brother cautiously glanced her way. there was a few seconds of silence, but when she finally spoke, luhan knew he needed to have her. her voice sounded like the soft tinkling of bells, light and gentle.
"prince luhan, i can't help but think that you're being a little too informal at the moment."
zhihui hated luhan more than anything, zhihao didn't have a much better opinion of him either. during the middle of their discussion, the second prince had a bouqet of peonies brought in and handed to the state princess. her elder brother was more surprised that his sister was currently being courted before him, and that the other prince was practically disrespecting him. zhihui took the flowers and put her hand on her brother's arm to calm him down, and lu han apologized before the meeting between the two princes continued.
"my angel, i'd like to see you again."
she went back to shanghai that day with flowers in hand, shocking her mother. the queen was more surprised than both twins, especially when lu han began sending in letters to the state princess that expressed his adoration and utmost admiration for her. he'd send one nearly every week, trying to get her attention. she rarely ever opened them, letting them pile up in the corner of her room before the servants pushed them into the trash.
"zhihui, you're just as beautiful as i remember you."
her mother did end up sending her to eudaimonia again to meet the prince, ecstatic that someone would even want to marry the sickly girl. zhihui never knew what it was like to be courted, but she certainly didn't like the way the second prince smiled at her like he had done this hundreds of times. her own brother had been very adamant about not letting her go, but they both knew no one could disobey the queen. so she stepped out of the carriage with jitian and let the eudaimonian prince greet her and spoil her.
"tell me, prince lu han. what are your intentions? what do you want from me?"
zhihui knew that if her mother had told her to marry him, she would have to. lu han has yet to burrow his way into the young princess's heart, but she can already feel him crashing through her walls. at first, he approached her with dozens of gifts. slowly, and gradually, she started seeing a softer side of the greedy prince. though she was cold to him, he'd be affectionate to her and pull her close so there was no room between the two royals.
"i only want you, tianshi. nothing more."
she still acted and spoke formally around him, but he's slowly seeing her open up. her first, genuine smile to him sparked something inside of him. his brothers asked him why his attention was always on such a cold and frail princess. there were many other more beautiful ones that would give him their attention. despite that, lu han wanted nobody else. and zhihui could slowly feel herself letting lu han in--she just hopes she doesn't regret doing so.
relationships —
servant || li xiuyin (27) || luhan's personal servant. she takes care of everything of his, such as dressing him and preparing baths for him and cleaning up after him. he's always liked talking to her. she never really says anything to him when he vents to her about his problems, but she never gossips. she doesn't like to speak up since she doesn't want to change his opinion on things according to what she may say. he just likes having her as a listening ear when he needs it, and doesn't want to tell his brothers.
questions/comments — omg i'm so sorry this ended up so long--i didn't mean for this to happen otl cries please forgive me and please love zhihui
scene requests —
- jealous luhan
- zhihui accidentally calling luhan "lu" instead of "prince luhan" and luhan actually noticing this time and teasing her about it
- interactions between zhihui and her bodyguard
- interactions between zhihui and her brother (bc he's so important to her)
- zhihui meeting the rest of the princes
others — i'd actually love it if you did! thank you <3
personality —
POS. rational, quick-minded, observant, analytic, flexible
NEU. PERFECTIONIST, SECRETIVE
NEG. DETACHED, COLD, CUNNING, DEPENDENT, FRETFUL
zhihui, at an early age, had learned to drop emotions when she didn't need them and pick them back up when she did. she was born with a blank expression, and it returned in her early teen years. the girl isn't particularly quiet or outgoing, but some could see her as so, since she doesn't speak unless spoken to. every move of hers around anyone that isn't her family is calculated and thought out. she always has a intricate plan in her head before she says something or makes a move. she knows exactly what to say to make someone happy, but she also knows exactly what to say to make someone's life miserable. because of that, she's the type of person who can hold multiple secrets to herself without ever telling anyone else.
even every gesture she makes is most likely calculated. if her plan is ruined by another factor that she hadn't predicted, then she can quickly form another one so she can still accomplish her goal. her mother had raised her to think that way. to her, life is a game and she needs to make the right moves to win it. she understands emotions but doesn't understand her own. she doesn't have any particular walls around her heart, but her coldness to others makes her seem far away and hard to get close to. she's frequently in bed because of her weak immune system, but it doesn't stop her from improving herself constantly. she needs everything she does to be perfect, or else she becomes irritated. even if she doesn't want to do a job she's been assigned to, she'll instinctively do it perfectly to please herself.
seeing her smile isn't uncommon, since she knows when to smile at others to make them feel like she's easier to talk to, but every emotion she shows is practically an act. but boy, is she a good actress. smiling, frowning, being angry, she knows how to do all that to please the person before her. like mentioned earlier, every one of her moves and gestures are calculated. but there are ocassions where some people will get closer to her, and those are the people she ends up becoming dependent on. despite always looking so cold and independent, she could never survive on her own. she needs to be around the people she loves, and the people that love her back. she cares for them so deeply, that when they're not around, she becomes worried for them and their safety. it's why she holds onto her brother's hand or her bodyguard's clothing whenever she feels anxious or nervous. though of course, she would only do such a thing when nobody is looking. it's a surprisingly childish side of her, that she only shows to the people who accidentally get too close.
around people like that, those who accidentally end up getting past her naturally cold attitude, she's almost like a little girl. she's like an open book. her emotions are always on her face for them to read, even though she can't understand them herself. if she's sad, sometimes she won't notice it until her brother points it out. she has small habits like her lower lip twitching when she's upset or her brows furrowing when she's angry. she's human, so of course she can't drop all of her emotions. she just doesn't know how to deal with them. she thinks they're useless, but zhihao and jitian think otherwise. on top of having her emotions pretty much written out for them to see, she drops her calculating side and stops thinking about what move would be the best. she's still a little cold and on the quiet side, but it's mostly in a shy, flustered way. she knows she can be herself around them, but she doesn't know what kind of personality her true self has. this side of her is so rare to see, which is why only two people who've been with her for over a decade can see it.
inner demon — if zhihui were to be one of the seven sins, she'd be envy. she's a princess that has everything but still looks at her disadvantages and envies others advantages. this easily causes her to hate others and scorn them. though she knows exactly how to make people happy, it doesn't mean she has to. she'd never sabotage her brother's right to the throne with her envy, she has enough rationale to control herself there, but if it were just her, she knows exactly what to say to ruin someone's day. one of the only emotions she can't control, is the jealousy she constantly feels for everything she can't have. and that jealousy can sometimes control her life and how she acts and reacts.
trivia —
- each letter in her name (zhihui) means smart. zhi (智) stands for "intelligence and wisdom" and hui (慧) means "intelligent and wise".
- learned to play the guzheng after her brother left to train
- to her, family is the most important thing in the world.
- has arachnophobia
- carries a sword around with her when she leaves the palace, even though she has a personal bodyguard. she can use it, not exceptionally well, but her brother was the one who demanded she do so.
- hates the cold since she gets chilly easily, and when she gets chilly, she gets sick.
- can't drink. will get drunk with one sip.
- isn't a huge fan of animals, though she can tolerate them.
- likes touching others in small motions like putting a hand on their arm or gently holding their sleeve.
- in one week, she's probably stuck in bed about 4/7 days.
- her sickliness is what causes most of her jealousy for others.
- really adores flowers.
background — zhihui was born into the world as the state princess of shanghai, minutes after her twin brother zhihao. she was a baby that rarely cried, usually staring blankly into space instead. she always had a certain look in her eye that made people feel as if she were seeing right through them. as she grew older, her blank expresses faded and she started to become more like her brother. he was active, always moving around and doing whatever he could to be anything but still. she liked to mimic his smiles, his laughter, and his way of talking. she looked up to him, a boy who could run around doing whatever he wanted.
she realized later on in her life that she envied him. she envied his carefree nature, his ability to do anything he wanted. on the contrary, zhihui was frequently laying in bed with a fever, or being scolded by her mother for doing rash things and not considering her own health. princess zhihui had been born into this world light, weak, and frail. it was like her energetic brother had the life force out of her when they shared a womb together. but still, little zhihui enjoyed trying to copy zhihao's boyish smiles as if they could be her own. she enjoyed the way he'd pull her outside in their free time and try to teach her how to swing a sword the same way that he was taught.
she didn't realize how dependent she had become on her brother until her mother had told her that their uncle was taking him away to train him to become stronger. ten year old zhihui blinked her owlish eyes, stars shimmering brightly in them. she had stolen those stars from her brother, and kept them for her own. when she was waving goodbye to zhihao, she dropped the stars she had stolen back onto the ground and, for a long time, never returned to pick them up.
frail little zhihui spent the next few weeks trapped in her bedroom. she coughed, and sniffled, and lived her life in pain. she had nearly forgotten what it was like when she wasn't sick. during the brief times between her random spurts of sicknesses, she'd pick up a sword. each time, her mother would watch her struggle around and eventually, the woman sat her down and placed a scroll in her lap.
"let knowledge be your strength." she had told her. zhihui stared up at her mother with those blank eyes of hers, expression calm and collected. her mother taught her larger words, taught her how to form sentences with them and how to understand and comprehend every single word printed onto paper. and slowly, zhihui forgot about the sword her brother would hand her and picked up as many books as she could in it's place.
zhihui grew more and more dependent on her mother, always excited for her praise when she'd do something correct. as she grew older, the praise started to lessen and the young princess became colder and more detached from her own emotions. she had taught herself how to throw emotions away when needed, and how ot pick them back up when she needed to fake a sweet smile. this only took her two years of reading and occasionally eavesdropping into her parent's conversations.
zhihui hadn't seen her brother in a little over four years, but she grew closer to him through the letters they sent to each other. despite not being able to speak face to face, she clung tightly to that bond they shared through the words they'd put on paper. and when she thought about it, she realized justh ow strong words could be. she realized just how much words could do, and with her new discovery, she burrowed her nose deeper into literature and scrolls.
as she neared eighteen, she was informed that zhihao would be back very soon. she picked the stars that she dropped five years ago up off the ground and they twinkled excitedly in her eyes. she wondered how much he had changed, and for days she missed hours of sleep with the question of, 'what will i say to him when he first comes back?'. because of that, she slept in the day he arrived and she woke up to a foreign face; one that was familiar but new all at once. even though she knew he would've changed, he had changed more than she could've ever imagined. when she wracked her brain for things to discuss, she realied how little they actually had in common and how much harder it was to talk to her brother face to face.
she grew closer with her brother again, but as she watched him grow bigger and bigger, she grew even smaller than she had ever been. with her brother back, her parent's attention was solely on him. the mother that she had depended on for a large portion of her life had basically forgotten about the frail and little twin to give all of her attention to the more important one. the more successful one.
zhihui, as a child, was on par with zhihao. the twins were always equal. they got the same amount of food, even if zhihui couldn't eat it all. if one got a toy, the other would as well. but when zhihui became an adult, she had become the one to live in her brother's shadow. the whole province's attention was on state prince zhihao who had been gone for nearly eight years to become a strong warrior. and slowly, zhihui questioned why she had delved into so many books if nobody would care for the forgotten half of the pair.
her brother, despite the boy being cheery and social, didn't know how to handle politics and really only knew how to fight. zhihui on the other hand, was practically raised for politics. she knew exactly what to say to please people. it took a lot of convincing from her mother, and a shy request from zhihao, before she decided to officially become her brother's shadow. she sat next to him whenever he needed to speak to the public and constantly told him what to say, telling him which decision was best and how to make the audience happy and motivated.
her mother controls her life, which is how she ended up following her brother to a nearby country so they could discuss typical politics. she had held her brother's hand the whole time, telling him exactly what to say as always. despite her cautious nature, she never paid attention to the eyes focused on her instead of the state prince.
relations —
twin brother ||zhu zhihao (21) || when he first arrived home, they were, of course, awkward with each other. it took a few months for them to open up to each other again, but now she knows she has her brother back. they've always been close, and he's always been her best friend. she relies on him for practically everything, and he's one of the reasons why she became so dependent on others. he needs her around to become a good king, yes, but he also enjoys her company. around him, it's like she can gain her emotions back again. he's the most important person in her life, and in all honesty she feels that her life would lose meaning without him.
bodyguard || hu jitian (24) || he's been her personal guard since he was 12 and she was 10. after her brother left, her mother decided she needed one, and assigned jitian. to her, jitian is just as close to family as her own blood brother is. he watched her grow up, and she ended up allowing him to speak informally to her (much to her mother's displeasure) though he only does so when nobody else is around. he saw her change from a cheery young girl to the cold woman she is today. he's the one that understands her the most, and the one that is always there for her when she calls. one, because it's his job, and two, because he deeply cares for her like his own younger sister.
mother || zhu shao ai (44) || she has full control over zhihui and zhihao's life. never are her intentions evil, but the woman does get greedy and angry at times. most of the time, she forgets that her children have their own emotions and feelings. she insists that what she does is always in shanghai's best interests, but really, it's all in her reputation's best interests. raising a good king would make her look good, and being able to marry her daughter off to a prince of a country full of prosperity would make people look at the queen in awe. shao ai loves herself more than anybody else--and that includes both of her children. zhihui would never do anything to disobey her, and can't do anything but listen to everything she says.
lover's background — being the second son was always a huge responsibility to him. he felt like he needed to do his best, and be the best so he could deserve the role he was born into. lu han was always a hardworker, doing everything he could to excel in everything. and he did end up excelling in everything--every subject his tutors would teach him, appearing as a kind and sweet prince, and becoming the second prince that his parents had wanted. lu han, now that he's excelled in everything and is practically at a standstill, now thinks that he deserves the throne. he's worked the hardest, and has ended up becoming the best out of his 11 brothers, so he strongly believes that he should become king. sure, he loves the rest of his brothers and would never do them harm, but he can't help but put himself and his efforts above them.
personality —
materialistic, determined, selfish, possessive, two-faced, affectionate
in front of certain people, lu han can be an angel. to others, he's a demon. angel lu han is the him he shows to his people and his parents. they think he's gentlemanly, soft-spoken, and polite. to them, he's the perfect son and the prince that always tries his hardest and strives to be the best. he always has a warm smile on his face, and people can practically see a halo over his head. he looks angelic, and acts angelic. he loves his brothers and his family, always taking care of the younger princes and making sure they're healthy and doing well.
the demon second prince is different though, and that's the side of him that his brothers and servants see. lu han grew up surrounded by money--so it became his life. he loves objects that are worth a lot and the higher the price, the more it's worth to him. it doesn't help that once he wants something, he'll definitely be getting it later on. it's the same with women, and the throne. something he considers his, is his and only his. there's no way he'd ever be giving it up. he wants everything in the world to be his, and it's one of the larger reasons as to why he wants the throne.
though, the real lu han is a combination of the two. he loves his brothers and those close to him, and he desires to take care of them. but there's no way he's soft-spoken and angelic. he's a little rude, usually not thinking before he speaks. at the same time, he's all of his demonic traits. he used to believe that everything could be bought, though that changed later on in his life. though if possible, he'd like to solve all problems with money and his power as second prince. he's still posessive, and stubborn. once he's set his mind on something, he'll have to accomplish it no matter what happens. it doesn't matter to him how he gets it, he just wants it and that's all he can think about until it's achieved.
trivia—
- he'd rather fight with a bow and arrow, than a sword
- he doesn't like it when zhihui constantly brings a sword around with her
- being the second eldest, he does have some power over the younger princes.
- zhihui still calls him prince lu han, much to his disdain. he's tried to convince her to do otherwise, but she's adamant.
inner demon — if zhihui were envy, then lu han would be both greed. his desire for the throne has given him tunnel vision, and all he can see is what he has to do to achieve his goal. consequences don't come to his mind as long as he gets what he wants. so what if a few lives are lost? its the same with anything else he wants. if he wants a certain ring, he'll have it by the time he's heading home. if he wants someone's attention, he's getting it, no matter what. and thanks to his stubborn and determined personality, he'd never let his target and goal out of his sight.
love story —
"who's the woman behind the state prince?"
the prince that zhihao had met was the second prince of eudaimonia, lu han. zhihui, who had been forced to follow along, had taken her personal guard's hand and stepped out of the carriage right after her brother. she had a blank expression, her skin was almost too pale and her fingers looked way too slim to be healthy, but he couldn't help but think she was unbelievably beautiful.
"it's nice to meet you, princess zhihui. i'm prince luhan, second prince of eudaimonia."
she looked extremely surprised when he greeted her, and her brother cautiously glanced her way. there was a few seconds of silence, but when she finally spoke, luhan knew he needed to have her. her voice sounded like the soft tinkling of bells, light and gentle.
"prince luhan, i can't help but think that you're being a little too informal at the moment."
zhihui hated luhan more than anything, zhihao didn't have a much better opinion of him either. during the middle of their discussion, the second prince had a bouqet of peonies brought in and handed to the state princess. her elder brother was more surprised that his sister was currently being courted before him, and that the other prince was practically disrespecting him. zhihui took the flowers and put her hand on her brother's arm to calm him down, and lu han apologized before the meeting between the two princes continued.
"my angel, i'd like to see you again."
she went back to shanghai that day with flowers in hand, shocking her mother. the queen was more surprised than both twins, especially when lu han began sending in letters to the state princess that expressed his adoration and utmost admiration for her. he'd send one nearly every week, trying to get her attention. she rarely ever opened them, letting them pile up in the corner of her room before the servants pushed them into the trash.
"zhihui, you're just as beautiful as i remember you."
her mother did end up sending her to eudaimonia again to meet the prince, ecstatic that someone would even want to marry the sickly girl. zhihui never knew what it was like to be courted, but she certainly didn't like the way the second prince smiled at her like he had done this hundreds of times. her own brother had been very adamant about not letting her go, but they both knew no one could disobey the queen. so she stepped out of the carriage with jitian and let the eudaimonian prince greet her and spoil her.
"tell me, prince lu han. what are your intentions? what do you want from me?"
zhihui knew that if her mother had told her to marry him, she would have to. lu han has yet to burrow his way into the young princess's heart, but she can already feel him crashing through her walls. at first, he approached her with dozens of gifts. slowly, and gradually, she started seeing a softer side of the greedy prince. though she was cold to him, he'd be affectionate to her and pull her close so there was no room between the two royals.
"i only want you, tianshi. nothing more."
she still acted and spoke formally around him, but he's slowly seeing her open up. her first, genuine smile to him sparked something inside of him. his brothers asked him why his attention was always on such a cold and frail princess. there were many other more beautiful ones that would give him their attention. despite that, lu han wanted nobody else. and zhihui could slowly feel herself letting lu han in--she just hopes she doesn't regret doing so.
relationships —
servant || li xiuyin (27) || luhan's personal servant. she takes care of everything of his, such as dressing him and preparing baths for him and cleaning up after him. he's always liked talking to her. she never really says anything to him when he vents to her about his problems, but she never gossips. she doesn't like to speak up since she doesn't want to change his opinion on things according to what she may say. he just likes having her as a listening ear when he needs it, and doesn't want to tell his brothers.
questions/comments — omg i'm so sorry this ended up so long--i didn't mean for this to happen otl cries please forgive me and please love zhihuiscene requests —
- jealous luhan
- zhihui accidentally calling luhan "lu" instead of "prince luhan" and luhan actually noticing this time and teasing her about it
- interactions between zhihui and her bodyguard
- interactions between zhihui and her brother (bc he's so important to her)
- zhihui meeting the rest of the princes
others — i'd actually love it if you did! thank you <3
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