Zhong Li Ci, the top assassin of the Shadowless Pavilion, has a sweet face and a ruthless hand. Her dimples can make you swoon, and her dagger can take your life.
She takes on a high-paying job: assassinating Chu Shiyu, the regent who holds the court in the palm of his hand.
But something is off about this prince. He’s so frail he can barely look after himself, and the moment they meet, he collapses into her arms.
“Miss...” He coughs until tears glisten in his eyes. “My heart... you’ve trampled it sore...”
To complete her mission, she signs a “monthly assassination contract” and becomes his personal guard.
By day, she protects him at close range. By night, she plots how to poison him.
He eats her poison like candy and treats her hidden weapons like toys.
He even keeps jumping to conclusions: “She must be madly in love with me.”
Then, on the day of the palace coup, she faces down an entire army, dimples flashing as she smiles:
“Who gave you permission... to scare my Chu Chu?”
The entire court drops to its knees.
Later, the prince resigns his post and retires to a quiet life. With an arm around her waist, he asks:
“Ah Ci, what would you have done if your assassination had succeeded?”
She toys with her golden abacus, her eyes curving with a smile:
“It couldn’t have succeeded. Every time you cough, my heart aches terribly.”
“Your consultation fee is ten thousand taels. Will you pay now, Your Highness, or should I put it on your tab?”
[One-sentence summary]
A cold-blooded assassin meets a frail drama king. An assassination turns into a monthly contract, and she loses her dagger but gives away her heart.
It looks very attractive to me