Synopsis
Angsty, melodramatic romance | A favored son of heaven bows to love | Rivalry between men | The wife-chasing crematorium trope
A proud, aloof man in public, a vicious mad dog in private x a gentle, resilient little white flower
Wei Qinghe once saved a beautiful young man.
When he woke, his eyes shone like a galaxy, and he gazed at her with such tenderness.
Wei Qinghe did not know what to do. Born in the countryside, she had never known anyone’s affection, and before long she was lost in his warmth and devotion.
He loved her more than life itself. From then on, she was practically waited on hand and foot. He took care of everything for her, and if she wanted a star from the sky, he would find a way to bring it down.
He had once kissed her gently and reverently, swearing he would marry no one but her in this life.
She thought their days would go on like that forever. She planned their little home and looked forward to their future with all her heart.
But then came a military coup, and Xie Guizhou recovered his memories. From that day on, her husband, who had loved her more than life itself, seemed like a different person. The tenderness in his eyes turned to a disgust she could not explain.
Only then did she learn that he was a prince of an enemy nation.
The conspiracy three years ago had nearly killed him. By a twist of fate, she had been convicted as an accomplice in the use of witchcraft, and imprisoned in the imperial palace alongside the defeated prisoners of war.
The hands that had cooked for her countless times now felt cold as they cruelly closed around her throat.
When illness left her at death’s door, he did not even come to see her. Instead, he accepted an imperial decree of marriage in front of everyone, then went straight to the banquet with his arm around his new wife’s waist.
The next time he looked her in the eye was to tell her she was to marry the bloodstained commander.
In despair, Wei Qinghe begged him to kill her. The man gripped her chin, his dark eyes smiling without warmth. “You’re a worthless life. You may die only when I, the prince, allow it.”
Her heart turned to ash, and on her wedding night, she drank poison.
Later, people saw the emperor’s descendant, the favored son of heaven, kneeling for hours before a Buddha statue with an old keepsake in his hands, praying only to see the woman he loved one more time.
*
Xie Guizhou had been framed with witchcraft during that great battle, nearly dying as a result. The incident became a nightmare and a humiliation he could never escape. He hated witchcraft, and he hated even more the person who had bewitched his heart.
He regarded their absurd past as a humiliation. The fact that he did not kill her was already a concession to their former bond.
So later, at a palace banquet, when the commander who controlled the military took one look at her and desired her, he merely smiled and used her as a bargaining chip.
She was no more than a disposable pawn. Using her to secure the commander’s support was a bargain he could not pass up.
Then news came from the palace that the commander’s wife had died. The fingers of the man who had always been cold and indifferent trembled slightly, and a dead stillness spread through his eyes.
*
On the Ghost Festival that same year, bitter snow fell across the long streets.
The emperor stood alone in the heart of the blizzard, gazing from afar at the lantern lights swaying by the river.
The girl he had once considered his possession now rested peacefully in someone else’s arms, laughing and chatting with him. Together, they held brushes and wrote their wishes on the paper for the flower lanterns.
She smiled with such warmth. Since he had regained his memories, he had never seen her this happy.
“My wish is for my husband to be safe and happy, and for me and A-He to be together forever!”
He knew that radiant face all too well. Once, it had belonged to him alone.
*
After faking her death and escaping, Wei Qinghe found a good man. Her husband treated her wonderfully, and she became a cherished little girl again. Then the door of their cottage was kicked open, and a storm of snow and murderous fury burst inside.
Her husband was pinned down by guards. Xie Guizhou stepped over a severed finger on the ground and, ignoring her terrified attempts to flee, forced her beneath him and kissed her fiercely.
“A-He broke her promise, but I cannot break mine.”
He kissed away the tears on her face, his fingertip stroking her slender, pale neck.
“We will be together in every life to come.”
[Reading Guide]
1. The male lead is pure in both body and heart. There is no substitute or childhood sweetheart he secretly loves. The fiancée mentioned in the blurb is part of a hidden story, and they will not actually marry, but there are plenty of melodramatic misunderstandings.
2. Later in the story, the heroine will have intimate contact with the second male lead, limited to kissing and hugging.
Theme: Only after her death did he realize how deeply he had been bewitched.