[Disguised as a Man | 1v1, Both Virgins | Slow-Burn Push and Pull]
In the third year of Yongxi, an imperial decree ordered the Shen family's eldest son to enter the Eastern Palace as the Crown Prince's study companion.
Her brother was gravely ill and bedridden. Defying the decree would bring disaster upon the entire family.
Shen Qingyuan tied up her long hair, changed into her brother's blue robe, and entered the perilous Eastern Palace under the name "Shen Ci."
Her goal was simple: conceal that she was a woman, make it through three years safely, protect the Shen family, and then leave.
She kept a low profile and acted cautiously, but the Crown Prince, Xiao Jinheng, still took notice of her.
Xiao Jinheng had seen enough hypocrisy at court, yet this "young man" still moved him.
It wasn't her looks, but her compassion, talent, and integrity that touched him.
Reason told him he merely appreciated her abilities, but an impermissible affection began to grow in his heart. In public, he treated her coldly and reprimanded her; in private, he quietly shielded her from trouble.
He tried desperately to suppress his feelings, torn again and again between restraint and desire.
Shen Qingyuan only wanted to get away safely. She was wary at every turn and couldn't understand the Crown Prince's hot-and-cold attitude.
One was set on escaping; the other secretly yearned to keep her close.
Their ruler-and-subject relationship stood between them, and her being a woman was a shocking secret that could explode at any moment.
When the secret was on the verge of being exposed, Xiao Jinheng caught her by the wrist, his eyes churning with emotion.
"Shen Ci, who are you, really?"
