Shang Xunyue is the power behind a Jiangnan cloth merchant, an easygoing young lady on the surface, but in truth she controls half the silk trade.
She has three secrets:
1. She is skilled enough in martial arts to wipe out a gang overnight.
2. Her wealth could buy the entire city of Jiangnan.
3. She has never fallen for a man, until she meets the handsome young man she "happens" to encounter in the rain.
Yan Jiaoyuan is a natural-born actor who scams people with his looks, a top-tier hunter who targets wealthy young ladies.
He has three rules:
1. Take their money, never their virtue.
2. Disappear as soon as the job is done.
3. Never catch real feelings, until he sets his sights on the tea drinker who seems ordinary but is unfathomable.
"My lady, that pale moon-white robe you're wearing today is made of Cloudwater silk, isn't it?"
He lightly strokes her sleeve, his breath scented with an orchid fragrance he has carefully concocted.
"A single bolt is worth a hundred gold pieces, yet you wear it every day to drink tea. Is it because your taste is exquisite, or because you're richer than a kingdom?"
He doesn't know that the woman he's trying to ensnare is the power behind Jiangnan's largest cloth merchant.
Shang Xunyue sees through every one of his tricks.
She watches him pretend his family has fallen on hard times, act diligent and ambitious, and even "accidentally" reveal the cinnabar mole at his neck.
She finds it amusing.
Like watching a beautiful bird flutter in its cage, its feathers bright, its eyes cold.
Until one night, she opens the door, covered in blood, and finds him dragging a corpse into a dry well.
Their eyes meet.
Blood drips from his fingertips, yet he smiles at her innocently. "My lady, I'm scared."
Wiping the blood from her short sword, she suddenly thinks...
Perhaps this bird should be kept by her side.
[Excerpt One]
On a stormy night, he wakes from a nightmare and rushes into her arms, trembling as he cries.
She has just returned from killing someone, blood still on her fingertips, but gently pats his back. "Don't be afraid."
He raises his head and kisses her, awkward and inexperienced.
For the first time, she kisses him back, tenderly, her hands staying primly at his waist.
"After we're married," she says hoarsely, her breath brushing his ear.
His whole body burns. Biting her collar, he sobs, "Then hurry up and marry me..."
Later, she teaches him to read account books. He deliberately gets the sums wrong and leans close to her ear. "Wife, I don't understand this part."
She sets down the ledger and takes his chin in her hand. "What don't you understand?"
He licks his lips. "I don't understand any of it. I'll need you... to teach me personally."
She lowers her head and kisses him, sending the account books scattering across the floor.
"Do you understand now?"
His eyes turn red at the corners. "...I think I understand even less now."
[Excerpt Two]
"I like you the way I like a cup of hot tea on a snowy day."
He chuckles in her ear, while his fingers clutch the banknotes hidden in his sleeve.
"I'll teach you how to do business. That way, even if I'm gone, you'll be able to live well."
Late at night, she sews a wedding dress for him, unaware that his dreams are filled with plans to abscond with her money.
When the bowl of longevity noodles for his birthday is set before him,
when the wedding dress she made with her own hands is draped over his shoulders,
when he breaks down in tears on a stormy night and confesses,
"You've been so good to me, I can hardly keep up the act anymore..."
[Character Introductions]
Shang Xunyue:
From "spectator" to "player," from "indulgent affection" to "teaching you to stand on your own."
She gives him security, and the confidence to survive even if he leaves her.
Yan Jiaoyuan:
From "a means to make money" to "longing to be loved," from "scheming at every turn" to "torn between two choices."
He conned his way into a beautiful dream, but no longer wants to wake up.
She teaches him business, martial arts, and how to survive, even giving him the ability to leave her with her own hands.
"This marriage began as a con.
It will either become Jiangnan's biggest joke,
or a high-stakes gamble with our whole lives on the line."
[Reader's Guide]
He knows how to play helpless, act vulnerable, make perfumes, and play chess. Every move is calculated to win her heart.
She sees through all his tricks but says nothing, waiting to see when he'll slip up.
On the surface: Easygoing young lady x down-on-his-luck beauty
In reality: Bloodstained female demon x cold-hearted little con artist
"Have you killed anyone?" "Yes. So have you."
Content warnings:
The male lead is a real con artist with little regard for morality. Read with caution if that's not your thing.
The female lead is a true powerhouse with blood on her hands. She's no saint.
Theme: Love is a thorn of truth that grows from a con, and it pierces the con artist more deeply than the one who was conned.
Overturned the third version of the outline 😣 The characters written by the teacher gave birth to souls, and struggled to change their destiny. (The same is true for another article I read recently. It was the characters that teachers poured into them that gave birth to souls and stepped out into the characters' lives.) 😣 The three versions of the outline were all be but in the end it became he. It was so well written. I want to read the extra.
It's good to read, and I really enjoyed the pull of the author's writing. It's not just the ambiguous period that's great, I really like this sour feeling, it's so appetizing. I like gentle people, and the little fairy is a gentle person. Oh, by the way, this is the nickname I gave Shang Xunyue on my own initiative, because she makes me feel like a fairy who is independent from the world. She is not like a guest in the world. She has no worries and lives alone. But the little fairy also has people who are yearning for her. A well-designed scam, murderous at every step. Is what emerges from the cracks true or false? Is it important? Not important? When you are unsure about something, you can ask the spring breeze. The spring breeze will not say anything, just follow your heart! True love and falsehood cannot be measured, and some things cannot be considered carefully. Love and hate are things that happen in a single thought. The moment you see him, at that glance, it is whatever it is. Hate? Shouldn't you hate it? Of course I hate it! It's too unfair, isn't it? Such pure love and respect, those painstaking and attentive care, hundreds of days and nights of care... Who can live up to such deep love? Who dares to disappoint? Love? Of course I love it! You can love someone who is coquettish and clingy, you can learn to love with all your heart, you can love someone even when you are broken and broken, you use your heart, how can you not love someone? When I watched their reunion, I was also very worried, and when I noticed the title of the novel, I was once again amazed by her gentleness. I hated him for being a liar, but when I hated him the most, Zhengjunyi was Zhengjun. Her love was just like the words she said, "Yan Jiaoyuan, I am determined to marry you!", And it is as unforgettable as ever! It is not an exaggeration to say that they had a bad fate. They had no clothes to cover their bodies, no food to eat, they were homeless and suffered many hardships. It is hard to survive in such a difficult way. It seems that I am not qualified to judge. Young Master, since you want to be a ruthless person, you should continue to be ruthless (bushi), lie and lie to the point of losing your heart, how can you be so embarrassed and worthy of the cruelty along the way? How to start with deception, how to end well? This is the question I kept thinking about while watching. Young Master, stepping on broken glass is very painful, right? The person is more frightened when he is better. The stolen true feelings, swallowed with a smile, whether it is sweet soup or a knife, only you know. Seeing your ruthless planning, I am shocked by your viciousness, but after all the hard work, you are still alone in the end, your dream has come to nothing, and it really hurts you, hey, why is it half-dead? "Are people who have done wrong things not qualified to start over?" "Yes." It is not easy to escape from death. I hope that the young master will cherish the people in front of him. It's not advisable to lie to people~ Words often fail to convey the meaning, but I am grateful to the author for allowing me to meet them [Hold fists]
I like this author so much. I read the author's books that my friend recommended to me. Every book is very good-looking and fits my xp😋😋😋. I love it. And the author has created the character of the heroine very well. This heroine controls the ecstasy. Thank you to the author for writing such a delicious article. I wish you all the best in the new year and all your wishes will come true and make you a fortune 😆[hahahahahahaha]
Wow, these three extra chapters look so warm and happy!! 🥺
Boss, I want to see my little husband 😭 😭 😭
[Spread flowers] Great pure love, and the author Mom who loves the children she writes about!!
It's very beautiful, the feeling of a dead tree blooming into spring, Hart is soft 🌈
[Orange candy] Got it [Purple candy] kswl looks good
Sprinkle flowers! Very nice[purple sugar]kswl[purple sugar]kswl
It's so beautiful and delicate 😭