She was the properly wedded wife of the top scholar, yet she spent a year alone in the Lu household, living like a widow. Her husband never set foot in their bedroom, while his concubine was already pregnant. No matter how glamorous the title of top scholar's wife sounded, it could not hide the lonely lamp in the main courtyard.
Shen Qingyi turned her back on it all and entered the Palace Service Bureau, starting as a low-ranking archivist who copied records. She fought her way into the emperor's presence and became an honored attendant personally appointed by him. But she never expected the figure she glimpsed in a side hall on Mid-Autumn night to slowly become part of her life.
She hadn't seen his face in the darkness. All she remembered was the scent of pinewood clinging to him.
Later, the whole court saw it: the gaze of the world-renowned Marquis of Jingbei grew more and more peculiar whenever he looked at the top scholar's wife.
He said, "I will bear the guilt of that night for the rest of my life."
He said, "Whatever she wants, I will give her. Whatever she doesn't want, I will shield her from."
Shen Qingyi lowered her eyes. "My lord, I am a married woman."
He chuckled softly. "So what? I can wait."
[The lonely wife of the top scholar turns her life around | Clear-headed heroine x restrained, devoted marquis | Punishing scoundrels and face-slapping all the way | Angst first, sweetness later]
Super pretty.