[Whimsical storyteller heroine x ruthless in public, devoted puppy in private] Lin Suyi, the county magistrate’s daughter, loves nothing more than tales, gossip, and the pipa. One day, while gathering herbs, she accidentally wanders into a bandit stronghold and is named their future wife! Rumor has it that the chieftain, Ye Hanlu, has a fearsome face and a ruthless nature, and can silence a crying child with a glance. To save her own skin, Lin Suyi throws caution to the wind: she’ll flirt with him, pursue him, and melt that “iceberg”!
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> A subordinate rushes in with urgent news: “Chief! Madam has taken the gold and silver and is trying to run!”
> Ye Hanlu doesn’t even look up. “Run? She probably thinks the chests are too small. Give her the storeroom keys. She can take as much as she wants.”
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> Another report comes in: “Madam wants to build an embroidery pavilion on the back mountain!”
> Ye Hanlu’s lips curl into a faint smile. “Build it! Find the finest craftsmen. From Jiangnan to the northern frontier, if she wants a palace in the clouds, then build her one.”
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> No one knows that this fearsome figure, who strikes terror into the martial world, has kept a secret in his heart for years: that bitter winter, in a ruined temple, this unexpected “goddess” shone her light on him. His name is Hanlu because that was the solar term when he first met her. After years of careful planning, he has been waiting for her to “walk right into his trap.” Now at last, he can cradle his little Bodhisattva securely in his hands.
