Ballad of the Imperial Court: Yan Zhi Has a Point, and There's Time Yet

[A Pretend Flirtatious, Pure-Love-Warrior × A Sharp-Tongued, Shrewd Innkeeper] Who in Chao’an North Road hasn’t heard of Shopkeeper Yan of Bofeng House? Sharp-tongued and shrewd, she works an abacus better than any man and runs an entire tavern on her own. Then “Young Lord Shen” came from the capital: Shen Zhishu. The Taifu’s son and a trusted aide to the emperor, he appears to be an imperial commissioner investigating a case, but in reality he’s a dashing playboy pursued by courtesans who call him “Darling Shen.” One calls him a “butterfly,” while the other thinks she’s a “tigress.” They can’t stand each other, but he can’t leave while the investigation is ongoing, and she can’t just shut up shop and send him away. But at some point, things began to change without either of them noticing. It was the extra bowl of noodles at the street stall, and the flash of a sword that shielded her when someone tried to abduct her on a rainy night. Later, when she was poisoned, she clamped her teeth around his arm and wouldn’t let go. He endured the pain all night and wouldn’t let anyone pull her away. Later, disfigured and consumed by self-loathing, he locked himself in his room and said, “Let’s part ways.” She held his face in her hands. “You fool, just hold me.” From mutual dislike to entrusting their lives to each other. Yan Zhi has a point. We have all the time in the world. For the rest of my life, I’m yours. (A Shen Zhishu × Yan Fuzhi fanfic based on The Ballad of the Imperial Court. It draws only on the characters’ personalities and some plot points; everything else is original. You can read it without having seen the book or drama. OOC warning, read at your own discretion.)