Su Jinglan is a celebrated young noblewoman in the capital. She has lived at Prince Teng's residence for three years, and before long she is to marry her cousin, Lu Heng. Everyone in the household says they are a match made in heaven, but she lies awake night after night.
Ever since the wedding date was set, a nightmare demon has haunted her bedchamber. In her dreams, candlelight flickers dimly and gauzy curtains hang low around the bed. He pins her hands to the pillow as snow-white fox ears brush her cheek. Each time she wakes, her underclothes are soaked and her heart pounds like a drum.
Later, Lu Heng takes her to the Xie residence to deliver an invitation. The Xie clan, renowned for generations of demon hunters, is famous throughout the land. Their youngest son, Xie Yuan, slew a snake demon at seventeen and subdued a mountain spirit at nineteen. He is known as a flawless young gentleman, and is also Lu Heng's most hated rival.
Their eyes meet. Su Jinglan's heart skips a beat, and the wedding invitation slips to the floor. Xie Yuan bends to pick it up. As he hands it back, his fingertips brush the back of her hand. His eyes curve into a smile. "Miss Su, are you afraid of me?"
Of course she is. Those eyes have looked at her hundreds and thousands of times in her dreams.
-
On the wedding day, red silk hangs everywhere and the hall is full of guests, but the bride is nowhere to be found.
Red threads crisscross a secret chamber, where bronze mirrors stand on all sides. Su Jinglan is pressed against a mirror. The red cord around her wrist sways gently with Xie Yuan's movements, again and again, like little waves lapping at the shore. Layer upon layer of reflections reveal the pair of snow-white fox ears atop his head.
"I've waited for you for so long. How could you marry him?"
Archived on June 3, 2026
--Reader's Guide--
1. One-on-one romance with a happy ending. The male lead is devoted to her in body and heart.
2. The leads have known each other since childhood. There is a misunderstanding between them, which will be cleared up later.
3. The second and third male leads remain chaste. The third has a one-sided crush on the female lead.
4. No rivalry between women and no scheming female characters fighting over the male lead.
5. A possessive-love story. The plot serves the characters, and neither lead is a perfect saint.
Theme: Be sincere in love and never let down someone who loves you sincerely.
