The author is hopeless at writing blurbs, but really did try. Please give this little writer a chance (puppy eyes: please be kind to me, readers (╥╯^╰╥))
[The brutal general who mistakes a debt of gratitude x the fallen noblewoman who goes along with the mistake]
[An ancient-style two-person romance] [Fake older-sister-and-dog dynamic]
When Ye Qizhu was eighteen, her father, an official in the Ministry of Personnel, was falsely accused of corruption and bribery. Her whole family was imprisoned and exiled to the frontier, where they were also attacked, robbed, and slaughtered by bandits and marauders.
Fortunately, General Gu Xianyue, stationed at the border, arrived in time to suppress the bandits.
With her father gravely ill, her mother in a daze, and her younger sister frail, the once-proud Ye Qizhu had no choice but to grit her teeth, swallow her pride, and feign tender affection toward the rough general, reeking of blood, so her family could stay alive.
Later, in order to clear her father's name and avenge her brother, Ye Qizhu decided to follow Gu Xianyue back to the capital. She appeared to become his lover, but in secret used his power and network of informants to investigate the truth behind the case with her childhood sweetheart and fiancé.
Once everything was revealed, Ye Qizhu set fire to the courtyard where she'd been living, faked her death, and left the tangled mess behind to live in seclusion with her childhood sweetheart in Jiangnan.
But after just two peaceful years, one day the taciturn general suddenly kicked down her front door and knelt before her, pleading:
"Ruo Ruo, have you had enough fun? Come home with me."
Gu Xianyue joined the army as a boy and weathered a lifetime of hardship. He inherited his father's legacy and guarded the frontier, leaving no room in his life for romance.
But among the exiles he'd rescued while suppressing bandits, there was a woman who offered herself to him.
She was beautiful, gentle, and sweet. When tears welled in her eyes, she was even more heart-melting. Gu Xianyue silently swallowed. He was only helping look after her sick family...
Later came warm red curtains, a lovely companion by his side, and the crackle of snow melting over a glowing brazier. Gu Xianyue fell deeper and deeper in love. He insisted on taking his beloved criminal back to the capital to uncover the truth for her, all so he could marry her openly and spend the rest of their lives in love.
But on the day the truth came to light, his beloved, who had suffered so much yet remained unyielding, died in a sea of flames, leaving him alone in a chaotic world. He suspected everyone, but never once suspected her.
Until, two years later in Jiangnan, he came across a face exactly like hers.
"I haven't slept well for a single night in the two years you were gone."
"Did he touch you here, too?"
"Did you do this with him, too?"
A mighty general who is secretly a fragile puppy in love x a gentle on the outside, strong-willed beauty who keeps her pain hidden
Heroine: I love you. I was pretending.
Hero: There are so many people with power and influence. Why did she only use me and not the others? It can only mean she loves me!
Reading Guide:
1. The early story is an ancient-style two-person romance, focused on the leads falling in love. The relationship develops slowly, but their feelings are the foundation of all the conflict.
2. The heroine seems gentle and frail, but she's strong-willed inside, even a little cold. She'll do whatever it takes to reach her goals.
3. The heroine is a total heartthrob. Men and women alike fall for her!
Theme: Be resilient, independent, and self-reliant
