Marriage first, love later. Happy ending.
She escaped becoming a bride, but couldn’t escape becoming a groom.
Meng Yin was the daughter of a high-ranking official, but her family fell on hard times. Then she was nearly killed by bandits, and to make matters worse, a maid stole her identity.
Fortunately, she stumbled into the identity of a constable. It gave her a way to make a living and free herself from an engagement that had bound her for years.
But escaping that marriage didn’t mean she could escape another.
A country girl suddenly showed up, claiming to be her fiancée and insisting that a woman needed a husband to provide her with clothes and food.
Yue Zhaozhao had been a carefree thief, living without a care in the world. The only person she was attached to was the benefactor who had once given her a meal.
But that benefactor was murdered. Getting revenge was easy; clearing her own name was not.
With nowhere else to turn, she heard that her benefactor’s fiancé, who lived a thousand miles away, had returned and secured a post with the authorities.
Two people from completely different worlds took on other people’s identities and became a married couple.
One couldn’t manage the outside affairs, the other couldn’t manage the household. Their chaotic days had to go on anyway.
A proud, aloof immortal bearing the weight of the world × a sincere, kindhearted, slow-witted physician
Who marries the same person three times?
The first time, she married out of love, wanting nothing but to be by your side.
The second time, she demanded money and status, made you ask three times before she agreed, and insisted you come a thousand miles to meet her.
The third time, she wanted nothing at all. She wanted your life!
Zhu Yunshu had been married twice. Her first wife was Lin Zhuxin, a peerless beauty far beyond her reach. By a twist of fate, Zhu Yunshu saved Lin Zhuxin’s life, so of course she expected Lin Zhuxin to marry her in return.
Full of joy and shyness, she went to join her beloved, only to be publicly scolded at the wedding for trying to exploit a favor and harboring delusions. Overnight, she went from a Cinderella to a laughingstock.
Her second wife was still Lin Zhuxin, but this time the balance of power had shifted. Lin Zhuxin failed her tribulation and lost her memories, returning to the innocence of a young girl. Zhu Yunshu, a physician with a benevolent heart (no, wait, she was broke and wanted a hefty fee), saved her.
But Lin Zhuxin with her impaired mind was far more endearing than the haughty, high-and-mighty woman she had once been. With the pure and guileless heart of a young girl, she didn’t understand weighing pros and cons; all she knew was that they had to depend on each other.
Zhu Yunshu admitted she was hopeless and fell for her again. But she’d learned her lesson: you were the one who drove me out, so if you want me back, there’ll be a whole list of conditions.
Her beloved arrived to take her back once more in a grand sedan chair, with colorful clouds paving the way. But at the wedding, an immortal far more accomplished than Zhu Yunshu appeared, claiming that she and Lin Zhuxin had been engaged for years and accusing Zhu Yunshu of taking advantage of her.
How could someone as proud as Lin Zhuxin be trapped in a love that offered her nothing? Once her memories returned, she cast aside her wife as if she were worthless and joined forces with an immortal who was her equal.
Zhu Yunshu knew they could only drift farther apart. She watched Lin Zhuxin rise to success, then devoted herself to cultivating her medical skills.
But after Lin Zhuxin had passed her tribulation, achieved great success, and earned a great reputation, she came back again. Having learned her lesson twice, Zhu Yunshu finally saw the light: if you can’t hold on to the sand, you might as well throw it away.
Zhu Yunshu had let go, but Lin Zhuxin couldn’t. The sand she’d thrown away wouldn’t stay gone. It came right back.
The above is Zhu Yunshu’s one-sided perspective. No cheating, no groveling, and a happy ending for both.
Theme: Everything is illusion; only love is real
Hooray for the ending! It did feel a bit rushed, perhaps because the truth behind each subplot was explained in detail, and ending Yue Hua's death with Xiao Meng's conjecture made the ending feel a bit hurried. I feel like there was so much more to write; the lighthearted daily life after marriage is what I most wanted to see [hugging thigh].
Congratulations on the ending! It was a bit sudden, I wanted to see Xiao Meng go back and punish the bad guys.
Huh? The ending was so sudden! [Loading]
Sister Xu's family is so pitiful [vomiting blood]. And who is that schoolteacher?
[Loading] Is Sister Xu really the daughter of Magistrate Zhen Zhou?
Seeing this, I personally feel that the character development of these two characters is somewhat unbalanced. Xiao Meng is well-designed and well-described, but frankly, aside from being righteous and kind, Zhao Zhao doesn't seem to have much of a charm that would attract the female lead. The only thing I can think of right now is her liveliness. It's a bit like a well-bred young lady falling for a young, naive boy.
Why did it suddenly end?! What happened to the princess?! 🥺 What about the sweet daily life of the young couple?! 🥺
Xiao Meng truly is someone who would rather die than let her innocence remain in the world. Even with someone like Zhao Zhao to hold her back, she is still capable of doing so. She is truly an ideal character.
"Let's check the breath" - a little bug for the author~
This event, seemingly by fate, brought together the destinies of Xu, Yue, and Meng decades ago, making their paths intertwine. It's truly amazing; the author is an incredible master of plot design.