Jian Hui, daughter of an envoy, accompanies her father on a diplomatic mission to a neighboring kingdom. As soon as they cross the border, the delegation is detained. The reason: Lu Xuan, a young and famous Grand Commander, opposes an alliance between the two kingdoms through marriage.
Jian Hui is chosen to become a tutor in the Lu household. She's been afraid of interacting with strangers since childhood and has always struggled to keep up a facade. Now she's the delegation's only hope: she has to win over the Lu family's relatives and persuade Commander Lu to release them!
Everything goes fairly smoothly, except that the jade-faced harbinger of doom remains her biggest obstacle.
He catches her giving someone a gift and sneers, "The more you try to cover it up, the more obvious it gets."
He blocks her when she goes to ask for advice and scoffs, "Playing hard to get."
He even gives her a cold look while she's teaching the children, then tosses out, "Playing cat and mouse."
He even declares, "As long as I'm alive, I will never let my cousin, the heir, marry the Princess of Xikui."
Jian Hui is secretly furious. She's tried countless times, but whenever she's in front of him, she gets so nervous she can't speak. With the deadline approaching, she has no choice but to pluck up her courage, brave Lu Xuan's icy stare, and hit him with a bold move!
After all her efforts, they finally reach the neighboring kingdom's capital. The court is still arguing over the marriage proposal when Lu Xuan suddenly kneels in the palace hall and asks to marry Jian Hui, the Xikui envoy.
The heir is shocked. "Cousin, didn't you say marriage alliances were a trap?"
Lu Xuan: "That's right. Surrounding her with delicacies and letting her lose herself in pleasure is no different from putting her over a fire to torment her resolve."
The heir understands. "I see you're still holding a grudge because she outmaneuvered you once when you let your guard down and forced you to give in."
Lu Xuan: "The woman from Xikui is cunning. We should wait until she lets her guard down again, then expose the truth behind her gentle, beautiful facade."
The heir nods. "Indeed. Even if she has bewitched your entire family, you won't fall for it."
Lu Xuan: "I can break the deadlock myself, so she won't have any tricks left and will be at a loss."
Jian Hui: ...Fine, fine. It seems Lu Xuan's so furious he's lost his mind and is willing to pay any price to get back at her.
· Socially anxious heroine who doesn't realize how flirtatious she is × aloof, arrogant male lead who talks himself into falling for her
· Fictional setting inspired by the Han, Wei, and Jin dynasties. No need to fact-check.
Coming in October
Theme: Be brave. You can do it.
