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Tong Yuansheng was beautiful and lived in harmony with her husband. Her days were peaceful and carefree.
But then a great fire burned their home to the ground, leaving them no choice but to seek shelter with her husband's cousin and his family.
*
Shen Songting was the legitimate eldest son of the Shen family's main branch. Though still young, he had already won repeated military honors and earned the emperor's favor. But with his career keeping him busy, he had no intention of marrying, which left the Madam of the household frantic.
Just then, the couple from the second branch came to stay. Thinking of how harmonious their marriage was, the Madam hoped that seeing them would inspire Shen Songting to start a family of his own.
She arranged for the young couple to stay next to Shen Songting's courtyard. But no matter how carefully she had planned, she never imagined this would bring disaster instead.
Shen Songting had always been distant with women. Yet after listening night after night to Tong Yuansheng's tender cries as she made love, he too began to "kindly" steady her when her legs gave way, letting her lean against him as she caught her breath...
*
Everyone said Shen Songting was cold and difficult to get along with. But during the days Tong Yuansheng stayed with the main branch, she found he wasn't nearly as bad as people made him out to be.
At the very least, while her husband was away, Shen Songting helped her in many ways.
But after Tong Yuansheng was widowed, he seemed like a different person...
Before the mourning hall, Tong Yuansheng wore plain mourning clothes, repeatedly covering her face as she wept.
Seeing this, Shen Songting flew into a rage. He grabbed Tong Yuansheng and demanded bitterly, "What's so good about him that you grieve for him like this? He tried night after night and still couldn't give you a single child. If it had been me, we'd already have a house full of children and grandchildren."
Reader's guide:
1. One-on-one; the female lead is sexually inexperienced, the male lead is not.
2. Coercive pursuit, stealing someone else's partner
Theme: Those in love will eventually be together
