"A love wracked by hatred, and the fear of a scoundrel who plays at sincerity."
Xue Jianwei married into a powerful family. Her husband backed the Fifth Prince and fought to the death against Song Jiming, adviser to the Seventh Prince.
Song Jiming's name sounded as bright and clear as a moonlit sky, but his wickedness was enough to darken the sun and moon over the capital.
So her husband was the first to die.
/
After Xue Jianwei's husband died, it wasn't long before people realized she had taken over his "great work." A woman had stirred up a bloody storm in court.
One day, a subordinate asked Xue Jianwei how she knew so much about Song Jiming's methods.
She smiled and said that he had once studied under her maternal grandfather. She had always wanted to compete with him in their studies. If one were to trace things back to their proper origins, she ought to call Song Jiming Senior Brother.
What she didn't say was that, years ago, her grandfather had heard that the Emperor intended to arrange a marriage for her. She didn't want to marry into a powerful family, so she begged her grandfather to ask his prized student if he would marry her.
Hidden behind a screen, Xue Jianwei heard her senior brother's answer.
It was a curt four-character reply: "Our families are not a suitable match." Just like that, he rejected the marriage.
She gave up on him, and when the imperial decree arrived, Xue Jianwei turned around and married someone else.
/
On the day of her husband's funeral, Xue Jianwei knelt behind a screen, dressed in white mourning clothes, watching the guests come and go.
The figures were all blurred, like reflections seen across a pond, drawing her back into memories from years past.
After they married, she and her husband lived in harmony. She thought life had settled into peace, but that prized student was expelled from the school and became embroiled in several major cases. Her grandfather died consumed by grief, and Xue Jianwei came to hate him.
Then a familiar yet unfamiliar figure suddenly appeared behind the screen, interrupting her thoughts.
He was implicated in her husband's death, yet still dared to come pay his respects. That was Song Jiming for you.
"The Tian clan replaced the Qi. Would you be willing to marry again?" A cool male voice suddenly pierced through the silk screen.
Suppressing the hatred in her eyes, Xue Jianwei replied evenly, "If the Fifth Prince becomes Emperor, perhaps I would."
//That's right, this is the story of a gloomy, unhinged man who rejected a marriage proposal, regretted it too late, and now pursues the woman he lost.
Reading note:
The female lead has no romantic history with anyone but the male lead. Manuscript in progress, feel free to add it to your want-to-read list!
Blurb written 2025.9.16 / screenshot saved
Theme: To be added
