“Murder! Arson! Someone’s trying to force his own daughter to marry!”
Xu Zhaoran, the second daughter of the Xu family, unloved by both her father and mother, was to be sent off as a stand-in bride to the heir of the Marquis of Zhenyuan. As a modern woman, Xu Zhaoran couldn’t accept that.
“Then let’s run away from the wedding!” She packed her bags and fled in the middle of the night.
She never expected that the Tang family’s heir, Tang (Qiu) Fengqi, wouldn’t be interested in her either!
In Shangyu County, she cried, “Is there no justice in this world?”
Rejected again and again, Xu Zhaoran swore off men and threw herself into her career. But that damned man kept showing up, throwing himself at her as if he had a death wish.
Every night, Qiu Fengqi would ask Xu Zhaoran, “Zhaoran, when are you going to give me a proper title?”
Xu Zhaoran gave him a cool glance, rolled over, and tugged the blanket over herself. “Oh, don’t ruin the mood. I told you, there’s no rush!” Then she turned her back and went to sleep.
Years later, at Xu Zhaoran and Qiu Fengqi’s wedding, everyone waited for the bride and groom to arrive. Suddenly, a servant rushed in from outside to announce that the newlyweds were missing!
At the city gate, Xu Zhaoran stood in the middle of the road in red, holding the reins of a red horse. The sound of urgent hoofbeats approached. She turned and saw Qiu Fengqi riding toward her, also dressed in red.
Xu Zhaoran: “What are you doing here?”
Qiu Fengqi: “That’s what I should be asking you.”
Xu Zhaoran smiled sweetly. “Running away from the wedding. Care to join me?”
Qiu Fengqi held out his hand. Xu Zhaoran took it, and he pulled her against his chest before riding off with her.
