Lady Man

Man Niang came from a poor family. At just fourteen, her parents sent her to marry into a household to bring good luck to a sick man. But the old master still died, leaving behind a young son for Man Niang to care for.

Man Niang wasn't foolish. She knew staying was better than going home, so she quietly looked after the young master's daily needs, even though he never treated her with respect and ordered her around like a maid.

Man Niang worked without complaint, raising her stepson, four years younger than her, as if he were her own child until he passed the prefectural exam and became a licentiate. She was overjoyed, thinking that even if she hadn't earned any credit, she'd at least worked hard. It seemed she could spend the rest of her life in the household.

But things didn't go as she wished. After he left to study at the academy, he never came back. The people in the household drove Man Niang out, leaving her to scrape by with odd jobs. She was often bullied and harassed because she was a widow with a beautiful face.

Some people took pity on her and helped, but most just watched for amusement. Gossips whispered behind her back, jealous of her slender figure and ample curves, and accused her of sneaking into her master's bed in the middle of the night.

Man Niang was so harried that she secretly wiped away her tears. She had always been careful to observe propriety. Whenever the master came by, she kept her eyes fixed on her toes. She'd never even seen his face, so how could she have climbed into his bed?

But later... Later, pinned beneath the soft blankets, Man Niang, her eyes red at the corners, turned back and stammered that this wasn't proper.

"Proper?"

The tall, handsome man behind her leaned close to her ear and whispered something indecent.

"Right. By the rules, I should call you Mother."

Ji Shouqian had never thought much of Man Niang, whom he considered greedy for wealth. After achieving success, he figured supporting her wouldn't cost much, but he never expected she'd already eloped with someone.

Well, that was fine. It saved him the trouble.

When they met again, he was the county magistrate and she was doing odd jobs in his household. Ji Shouqian resented her, but still gave her shelter.

After that, everything took an unexpected turn.

Ji Shouqian had never imagined he would fall for his stepmother.

But the old man was dead, and he was still young, wasn't he?

Note: The heroine was bought into the household as a servant. She and the hero are not related by blood or marriage. Later, the heroine holds her own contract of indenture and is a free woman. Their relationship develops after they reunite. The hero is twenty, the heroine is twenty-four, and both are adults.

First version of the blurb saved on 2025/9/2. Blurb revised on 2026/6/1.

Theme: After the clouds clear, the moon appears.