A Lone Boat on the Sea of Politics, Coming Ashore for You

She was the lowliest palace maid in the deep palace, bullied by everyone and treated as less than a blade of grass. He was the ruthless, cold-blooded chief of the Eastern Depot, powerful enough to sway the court. One day, on a whim, he pulled her out of the mud. He neither spoiled nor coddled her, and he never cleared every obstacle from her path. He simply kept a cold face and taught her, step by step, how to stand on her own, fight back, and protect herself. “I can protect you for a while, but not for a lifetime. You have to dare to stand up for yourself.” Those who had once bullied her, humiliated her, and ground her into the dirt, she would no longer endure them, run from them, or cry over them. Relying on herself, she gave them all a taste of their own medicine, one by one, and rose against the odds. From a pitiful girl at everyone’s mercy to a gentle yet formidable ray of sunshine, she became a source of pride to all. He was her support, her guide, and a wellspring of tenderness hidden beneath his cold exterior. She was the sole warmth in his heart, frozen for ten years, and a saving glimmer in their fated reunion. All along the way, he watched the world with cold eyes, lowering his gaze only for her. In this life, she rose from the dust and became the one dearest to his heart.