After overworked office drone He Jiaojiao dies suddenly from working overtime, she wakes up inside a tragic romance novel as He Jingyao, the legitimate daughter of a general's household destined for a miserable ending. In the original story, He Jingyao is infatuated with Jiang Yu, who was raised in her household. He is actually the disgraced crown prince Xie Linheng, living under an assumed name. She eventually becomes empress, only to be banished to the Cold Palace, where she spends the rest of her life alone.
Taking the story's lessons to heart, He Jiaojiao sets herself a goal: stay away from the male lead, focus on making money, and become a carefree, wealthy woman.
At her birthday banquet, she deliberately keeps her distance. She sells off the precious medicinal herbs he sends her and even takes the initiative to match him with the original heroine, Zhao Liuer, drawing a clear line between them at every turn.
But the farther she stays away, the deeper Xie Linheng's obsession grows. The cool young man who once found her pursuit annoying gradually fixes his gaze on her alone.
Her half-sister repeatedly plots to ruin her reputation and frame her for secret meetings, but he quietly thwarts every scheme. When a wild boar appears on the hunting grounds, he risks his life to protect her, injuring his arm to keep her safe. He slips into her chambers late at night to talk and confides in her about the loneliness of living under someone else's roof.
He Jiaojiao's defenses slowly crumble. She clings desperately to the book's ending and keeps backing away, yet can't help being moved by his protection.
Everyone says he has been lying low, patiently plotting revenge and a bid for power. Only He Jingyao knows that in this struggle for dominion over the land, from beginning to end, he has only wanted to give her a lifetime of peace.
