The Heir Would Rather Break Than Bend, While I Know When to Yield

[Palace intrigue + household drama + runaway bride + bickering couple + playing dumb while hiding one's true abilities + a long road to winning back his wife] Cheng Zhu, the second daughter of the richest family in the capital and younger sister of the crown princess, has only just come of age when her world falls apart: the emperor is about to betroth her to Qin Xu, heir to the Duke of Pillar of State. Though her elder sister married into the imperial family, she hasn't smiled since the wedding. Cheng Zhu despises the powerful clans and vows to marry someone of equal standing who loves her as much as she loves him. “An imperial decree has arrived…” She immediately pretends to be sick and faints on the spot, narrowly avoiding the betrothal. Pretending to be sick won't work forever. She'd be better off faking her death and fleeing the marriage, then flying free beneath the wide-open sky. Then a man appears and leaves her completely smitten. She just wants to get this over with and elope with him! Before she can fake her death, bad news arrives from the crown prince's residence: her elder sister has died of illness… The Cheng family is on the brink of disaster. Should she stay or go? Because the crown princess has died, Qin Xu returns to the capital ahead of schedule! Now she can't leave. This time, Cheng Zhu has no choice after all. Only when her veil is lifted does she realize that all those letters they exchanged were nothing but lies! “My lord, I don't want to get mixed up in the Duke's household's mess. Just pretend I'm dead!” Poor, mighty heir to the dukedom. He's in for a long road to winning her back!