Cherished in the Palm of His Hand

A proud, sharp-tongued yet pure-hearted young marquis × a resilient, alluring princess from a fallen foreign land | One-on-one romance, happy ending, sweet indulgence and simmering tension A princess from the Western Regions falls on hard times and is reduced to a lowly servant in a tavern in a border town. To survive, and to take revenge, Jiana sets her sights on Lu Zhuo, a young marquis from Chang’an. After a night of passion, Lu Zhuo leisurely fastens his sash and speaks with cutting disdain: “Don’t think that sleeping with me once makes you the marquis’s wife. A dancing girl like you isn’t even fit to put on my shoes.” Jiana lowers her eyes, hiding their bone-deep chill, and kneels obediently: “This humble servant wouldn’t dare ask for more. I only beg the marquis to spare me a meal.” He insults her with abandon; she feigns obedience. They test one another at every turn, caught in a push and pull. * Until war erupts along the frontier. The once-reckless, dissolute young marquis openly defies the imperial decree for this foreign dancer, charging alone into a perilous enemy camp just to reclaim her father’s keepsake. Inside the military tent, Lu Zhuo pins her to the bed, his eyes red and his voice both furious and frantic: “Get dressed! Who said you could appear like this?” Jiana curls her lips in a dazzling, resolute smile, each word striking home: “Didn’t the marquis say I wasn’t even fit to put on your shoes?” The once-arrogant young man drops to one knee with a thud, gripping her ankle tightly. Still stubborn, he gives in: “I want to! I’ll put your shoes on for the rest of my life. Is that good enough?” * All his past disdain was an act. All the love in his heart is hers.