(Dual male leads + both each other's only partner + alternate history + marriage before love + mutual salvation)
The prime minister's son, a powerful court official: a cold-faced, frail beauty gong
A general of the kingdom, a fallen orphan: a slick-talking, survival-minded con-artist shou
Everyone in the capital knew Pei Jin, the prime minister's son, was a delicate beauty who might topple in a gust of wind, a sickly young man raised on medicine. People envied his good birth, but sighed that he wouldn't live long.
Everyone in the city streets knew Bai Xiaoqi of Nanli Street was a sly fox with a silver tongue, making a living through scams and trickery, and able to talk the dead into speaking.
By chance, the sickly young master paid a gold ingot for one of the little swindler's lies.
From then on, he drew him into his schemes, and the other risked his life for him.
One thought he was controlling a pawn; the other thought he was clinging to a dying tree.
Little did they know
One was a strategist who kept his edge sheathed and left nothing to chance.
The other was a fallen general's orphan, buried beneath dust and snow, carrying a blood feud.
As conspiracies came to light and old cases were reopened;
As “Bai Xiaoqi” was forced to reclaim the name “Wen Wan”;
As the “sick cat” shed his disguise and revealed an iron hand capable of turning the tides.
Only then did they realize that the Wen family's downfall years ago had been the work of traitors, intended to stir conflict at court.
From mutual probing to entrusting each other with their lives.
From weighing gains and losses to falling for one another.
The whole capital thought he was a sick cat. Only he knew
He was a man-eating tiger.
The whole capital thought he was a liar. Only he saw clearly:
He was someone worthy of wholehearted trust.