Shen Qingzhi's parents died when she was young, so she travels to the capital to seek refuge with her maternal grandmother, who lives at the Duke's estate.
Taking pity on her, her grandmother carefully selects Gu Jinxiu, the second son of the Marquis of Xuanping, as a match for her.
The young gentleman is as gentle as jade, considerate and respectful. Shen Qingzhi finds herself falling for him too. Their engagement is settled, and she looks forward to a peaceful life from then on.
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That is, until her cousin Fu Yao, the Duke's eldest legitimate son and a favorite of the emperor, returns home victorious from a campaign to suppress bandits in the south.
At a family dinner, he raises his cup and smiles faintly. "Cousin, you look familiar. Have we met before?"
The instant Shen Qingzhi looks up and sees his face, the jade chopsticks in her hand nearly slip to the floor.
They had done more than meet.
Months ago, at an inn in Jiangnan, the stranger who had taken her innocence had this very face: devastatingly handsome, yet cold as frost!
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Terrified out of her wits, she dares only to keep to herself, praying that her wedding day will come soon so she can flee far away.
She thinks that since she is engaged, he must at least show some restraint.
But night after night, as the hours grow late, she inexplicably falls into a stupor. When she wakes, she is already in the bedroom of his private courtyard.
Deep beneath the red bed curtains, warm fragrance fills the air. His long fingers slowly stroke her slightly rounded belly, his breath scorching. "You've got my child inside you... Cousin, looking like this, how can you get into another man's bridal sedan?"
-
Fu Yao has never forgotten that night in Jiangnan, when he was ambushed and consumed by a potent aphrodisiac.
Before losing consciousness, he grabbed a young woman with delicate features and a soft, trembling voice.
He had meant to take responsibility, but she fled like a startled sparrow and vanished without a trace.
He searched everywhere and found nothing. His obsession only deepened.
-
It is only after returning to the capital that he learns the woman from that night is now his family's dependent cousin, and that she has already been promised to a friend he has known for years.
In the garden, she smiles shyly at her fiancé, her cheeks flushed, as she gently brushes a fallen blossom from his shoulder.
The bashful, docile side she has never shown Fu Yao chills his gaze.
If he claimed her first, what right does anyone else have to her?
Even a friend's wife... can be taken.
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Obsessive, sinister older cousin & timid, anxious younger cousin;
Possessive pursuit, old-school melodrama;
Male lead is sexually inexperienced;
Blurb dated 2025.12.23;
Theme: Pursuing freedom and a happy life
