[Historical romance + woman disguises herself as a man + shifting power dynamics + two strong leads caught in a push and pull]
Han Ling and Ji Li are sent to Daqing as hostages for ten years. Their main tasks are to earn money to support Xiliang and to protect their identities so they can return home safely.
They thought Lin'an would be a treacherous place to live, but it turns out there isn't nearly as much scheming as they expected, and they can live with complete abandon. They spend their time either making money or enjoying themselves. Ji Li spends all day hanging around that big, dimwitted fellow from the Lu family... watching muscular, handsome men train at the martial arts grounds. Han Ling studies and practices martial arts while indulging in romantic pursuits, charming every handsome man and beautiful woman in Lin'an through sheer force of personality. The only person she ignores is the sickly young master of the Shen family, whose beauty and talent are unrivaled in Lin'an.
Han Ling says of him, “He is good-looking, sure, but he looks so sickly. How could he possibly handle anything... And all he ever says is ‘As the ancients said...’ How boring...”
The bystanders say, “If you don't like him, why are you protecting him? You won't have him, but you won't let anyone else have him either...”
Han Ling scoffs, “Who says I don't like him? I do. I like him a lot...” She speaks without thinking, but someone listening takes her words to heart. With one sentence, she gives away the rest of her life... She thought she could run home once her ten-year term as a hostage was over! But the two of them are relentlessly pursued. With a mountain of romantic debts to settle, do you really think you can leave...
No transmigration or rebirth. Set in an imaginary dynasty. Everyone is welcome to read.
