Shen Xiyue, the most beautiful woman under heaven, trusted her childhood sweetheart, Crown Prince Xiao Duo, in her previous life. She helped him claim the throne, only to see her entire family executed and meet a tragic end herself.
Only after her soul left her body did she realize the truth: the cold Regent Xiao Yi, who wielded power over the court and was rumored to be impotent, had slaughtered his way through the palace to avenge her, then killed himself to follow her. He had hidden his deep love for her all his life, silently protecting her until his final breath.
Swearing that she would never let him down in her next life, Shen Xiyue is reborn before her marriage. This time, she tears up her infatuation with Xiao Duo and carefully plots to marry into the Regent’s household.
But Xiao Yi has seen how tenderly she treated the Crown Prince. He assumes she is using him to spite Xiao Duo, and meets her advances with icy indifference. Yet the closer Shen Xiyue gets to him, the deeper she falls. Beneath his frozen exterior, she glimpses a tenderness and possessiveness reserved for her alone.
By the time Crown Prince Xiao Duo realizes his mistake, Shen Xiyue has already given her heart to someone else. He uses their betrothal and imperial authority to pressure her, unaware that Xiao Yi’s love has taken root deep in his bones. The Regent, who has always kept women at arm’s length, shows Shen Xiyue a consuming devotion, visiting her chambers night after night and shattering every rumor.
Even when a princess from a foreign land seeks his hand, and a foreign prince sets his sights on her, the two hold tight to each other and overcome every obstacle. In the end, Xiao Yi gives up his power and prestige and retires to the countryside with Shen Xiyue. Together, they spend a lifetime making up for the regrets of two lives.
