The Flower Master's Chosen One

Everyone in Changsha knew Wu An, the Wu family's young lady, as Wu Erbai's darling. She grew up at Wushan Residence with the Xie family's young master, Xie Yuchen, and her cousin Wu Xie. She protected Wu Xie like a mother hen. When she saw him being bullied as a child, she would rush in with her fists clenched, refusing to back down even when knocked over.

Wu An had never seen her mother, and her father was always evasive whenever the subject came up. It became a knot in her heart. Since her grandmother was Xie Jiuyi's younger sister, she and Xie Yuchen were especially close. As a child, Xie Yuchen often wore opera costumes, and she chased after him calling him “sister.” Later, “sister” became “brother,” and the boy earnestly promised to marry her one day.

One was a delicate, proud young lady raised according to the Wu family's rules; the other was a gentle yet sharp young man tempered by the Xie family's storms. Their bond ran deep: she secretly slipped him candied fruit and listened to him hum opera tunes as his voice changed; when she stared at her mother's old belongings, he silently brought her some sweetened water.

The old mysteries of the Nine Gates resurface, and ancient tombs brim with traps. The pampered girl of the past can now stand shoulder to shoulder with him. She yanks impulsive Wu Xie back from danger and shields him from hidden arrows. Amid the clash of blades, he wants to protect her, but she presses a hand to his shoulder; when oxygen runs low, she passes him water, and he stubbornly gives most of it back to her. Their bond has long surpassed childhood friendship. It is a shared life amid swords and flames, a certainty that says, “I'll protect the world, but you most of all.” And perhaps the truth conceals traces of her mother.