[Older man + forced marriage and possessive pursuit. A simple, earnest heroine with a strong sense of self-worth × a morally dubious, possessive hero]
[Personal growth, not a strong heroine]
For the two taels of white flour handed out by the school, Dongdong gritted her teeth, put on the clothes of her younger brother who had drowned, and began her journey to school disguised as a boy.
But someone is always trying to expose her secret identity, especially that handsome, inscrutable teacher who came from the capital.
With no other choice, Dongdong can only try her hardest to distract them.
At school exams, she writes whatever comes to mind and turns in her paper early. Her classmates: What? The Star of Literature is sitting right beside me!
To support her family, she takes on the burden of making a living, talking her way through calculations and beating the market at its own game. Merchants from near and far: Please take me on as your apprentice, modern-day Tao Zhugong!
By a twist of fate, she gets caught up in a murder case, leaves behind evidence, and bravely catches the culprit. The news reaches the capital: I hear there’s a budding prime minister in Heishan Village who can predict everything like a god!
Only when one imperial summons after another arrives from the capital, urging that man to return, does Dongdong finally feel safe enough to go out. But the man’s servant is waiting outside and immediately steps forward to stop her.
With nowhere left to hide, Dongdong is trapped in a small carriage by the man who was supposed to return to the capital and stir up the political world.
“Why are you hiding? Do I look like some wild beast that’s going to eat you?”
Shen Zhiyan had been heaven’s favorite since birth, but one day he fell into the mud and was exiled to the bitterly cold Ningguta.
The people here were dull-witted and pathetic, fighting until they were battered and bruised over a single cotton coat.
The arrogant, haughty Shen Zhiyan looked down on them all, including the female student at the school who clumsily imitated his younger brother.
He could send her away without even giving her a second glance.
Back then, he never imagined that one day...
He would scheme at every turn, his body covered in scars,
all just to make her look at him one more time.
