Good luck with your college studies! It was hectic for me when I first started uni (equivalent to college in US).
Lately, a favourite read of mine (after TLTW of course) would have to be Da Mo Yao (大漠谣) by 桐华. IMO, it beats Tang Qi's Hua Xu Yin.
Sites to read it online are in the discussion thread:
http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showthre...ER-WARNING!%29
Here's the synopsis from the discussion thread (first half of the book only though. The later parts just kind of detail the main character's love life with one particular male lead).
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I'll only be giving a tidbit of the Chang'an parts. Some parts are just too good to be spoiled.
Xiong Nu
While being raised with the Xiong Nu, Yu Jin was friends with Yu Dan, Yi Zhi Xie (later the Dan Yu of Xiong Nu), Mu Da Duo (later wife of Yi Zhi Xie, quite passionate and jealous of Jin Yu (because of the love she receives from both YZX and YD). One year later, the then Dan Yu and her foster father both die. Yu Jin's foster father's only wish was for her to return to his hometown, Chang'an, in the Han Dynasty. Thus, Yu Dan tried to help her flee the Xiong Nu territory and into the Han territory (which eventually failed, because they could not outrun YZX's soldiers who were ordered to capture them. To save Yu Jin, Yu Dan persuades her to stay in the wild desert and find the wolf pack she had grown up with (promising to come back for her once he reached the Central Plains) and then leads YZX's men on a chase. In the desert, she first meets Meng Jiu (Meng Xi Mo) and then saves and meets Huo Qu Bing (Xiao Huo) and his comrades while they were fleeing the desert bandits on the way back to Chang'an. Jin Yu (she changed her name while introducing herself to Xiao Huo) acquired some money from HQB, her reason being that she saved then from the bandits, hence, with her bag of money, she sets off towards Chang'an.
Chang'an
Just outside of Chang'an City, she meets some beggars and soon befriends a young beggar and his grandfather. The young beggar tells her that while he was begging on the streets, he heard that people could find work by offering to wash clothes. With that as her hope, she goes into Chang'an and starts looking for work. Everyone refused her offer, until she came across someone who gave her buns in return for her hard labor [of sweeping the courtyard]. Unbeknownst to Jin Yu, this 'kind' Aunt (Hong Gu~Aunt Hong/Red) was actually the boss of a brothel. She soon rises to be the head of this brothel due to her cleverness and persistence to improve this brothel's business. Jin Yu befriends Hong Gu, and she remains one of JY's most loyal friends. After being promoted to boss, she met the Li family, and one person in particular, Li Yan, who would later rise to be one of Liu Che's (the current Emperor of Han) most powerful concubines (which was due to Jin Yu increasing their brothel's popularity and gaining the Imperial Family's attentions). During all this, she falls for Meng Jiu (head of Shi Manor, a major trading family). Yet he rejects Jin Yu again and again (against his own feelings), because he didn't want her to live with a disabled person. Although Jin Yu states she doesn't care about his disability, he still rejects her. Heart broken, it was from this time onwards that Jin Yu seriously considered Huo Qu Bing (who had always loved her, despite the fact she didn't return the love during the first part of the book) as someone who was more than a friend.
SPOILERS STOP AT THIS SCENE, FOR NOW.