Honey in the Smoke of War

In Lu Tingyuan’s eyes, Mu Qing is an arrogant woman who doesn’t know her place and is always resorting to petty tricks. To Mu Qing, Lu Tingyuan is a vicious, calculating, overbearing man with no bottom line. They can’t stand the sight of each other, yet their families force them together, binding them with a marriage contract.

On their wedding night, Lu Tingyuan lays down the law: “Now that you’ve married into the Lu family, you’ll follow my rules. Don’t entertain any foolish fantasies about me.” Mu Qing scoffs and shoots back, “Relax. Just worry about yourself. You’re not my type.”

After the wedding, Mu Qing carries on exactly as she pleases, drinking, clubbing, and throwing parties with her friends. Her life is full of excitement, and there’s never a shortage of admirers around her. Lu Tingyuan watches, initially keeping his temper in check. But when he sees Mu Qing happily chatting with another man, he finally loses it: “Have you gotten too carried away, or do you think I, Lu Tingyuan, can’t keep you in line?” Mu Qing raises an eyebrow, then flashes a playful grin. “My mistake, my mistake. Please calm down, Ninth Master.”

What they thought would be a marriage of convenience gradually changes amid one clash after another. When she runs into trouble, he quietly steps in to help. When he’s exhausted, she clumsily offers him a cup of hot tea. When arrogance meets dominance, and sparks fly between two equally stubborn people, can this marriage that began at their families’ insistence ultimately blossom into love?